There are many variants of corrosion, reflecting both the environment and the failure mechanism. Corrosion is the gradual destruction of materials, usually metals, by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. The refined metal - steel, for example - returns to a more stable form: an oxide, which in the case of steel is iron oxide (rust).

The two most common forms

For non-corrosion-resistant materials, general corrosion is the most common form.
For more corrosion-resistant materials, localised corrosion is the most common form.

More specific mechanisms

Very specific forms of corrosion include HICC (hydrogen-induced corrosion cracking), MIC (microbiologically-induced corrosion), SCC (stress corrosion cracking) and intergranular corrosion. A whole specialism has developed around identifying, controlling and preventing these mechanisms.

Frequently asked questions

What is corrosion, in general terms?

Corrosion is the gradual destruction of materials, usually metals, by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. The refined metal, steel for example, returns to a more stable form: an oxide, which in the case of steel is iron oxide, or rust.

What is the most common form of corrosion for non-corrosion-resistant materials?

For non-corrosion-resistant materials, general corrosion is the most common form, meaning attack occurs fairly evenly across the exposed surface. This contrasts with more corrosion-resistant materials, where localised corrosion, concentrated at specific points rather than spread across the surface, is the more typical failure mode.

What are some more specific mechanisms of corrosion?

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