DEALLOYING

CHE 431; GROUP 7

21ST SEPTEMBER 2016

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
AN ALLOY? A SUBSTANCE HAVING METALLIC PROPERTIES AND BEING COMPOSED OF 2 OR
MORE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS OF WHICH AT LEAST ONE IS AN ELEMENTAL METAL.
DEALLOYING? A CORROSION PROCESS IN WHICH ONE OR MORE ALLOY COMPONENTS ARE
REMOVED PREFERENTIALLY. THE CORRODED REGION USUALLY HAS A MARKEDLY DIFFERENT
STRUCTURE THAN THE ORIGINAL ALLOY.
THE PROCESS CAN ALSO BE CALLED; SELECTIVE LEACHING OR PARTING
THE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE ALLOYS ARE THE ONES CONTAINING METALS WITH HIGH DISTANCE
BETWEEN EACH OTHER IN THE GALVANIC SERIES, E.G. COPPER AND ZINC IN BRASS
DEALLOYING MOSTLY OCCURS IN COPPER CONTAINING ALLOYS.

MECHANISM IN DEALLOYING
THE MECHANISM OF DE-ALLOYING CORROSION CAN BE EXPLAINED WITH THE HELP
OF THE DIFFERENCE OF ELECTROCHEMICAL POTENTIALS SET UP BY TWO METALS,
WHEREIN ONE OF THE ALLOYING CONSTITUENT ACTS AS AN ANODE WITH RESPECT
TO THE OTHER ELEMENT, IN THE PRESENCE OF ANY ELECTROLYTE SUCH AS AIR
MOISTURE, WHICH CAN INITIATE AN ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTION
ZN ATOMS LEAVES LATTICE SITES
SOME GENERALLY ACCEPTED; BRASS DISSOLVES
ZINC STAYS IN THE SOLUTION
COPPER RE DEPOSITS

COMBINATION OF ALLOYS AND

ENVIRONMENTS SUBJECT TO DEALLOYING
AND ELEMENTS PREFERENTIALLY REMOVED
Alloy

Environment

Element Removed

Brasses

Many waters, especially

stagnant conditions

Zn (dezincification)

Grey iron
Aluminium bronzes

Soils, many waters

HCl, acids containing
chloride

Fe (graphitic corrosion)
Al (dealuminification)

Silicon bronzes

High temperature steam

and acidic species

Si (desiliconfication)

Tin bronzes
Copper nickels

Hot brine or steam

High heat flux and low
water viscosity

Sn(destannification)
Ni( denickelification)

DEZINCIFICATION
DID YOU KNOW THAT; ALL CU-ZN ALLOYS CONTAINING >15% ZN ARE SUSCEPTIBLE
LIKE COMMON YELLOW BRASS. 30% ZN & 70% CU, DEZINCIFIES TO RED COPPER
RICH STRUCTURE. DEZINCIFICATION CAN BE UNIFORM..
THE TYPES ARE; PORTABLE WATER INSIDE
PLUG TYPE DEZINCIFICATION( BOILER WATER INSIDE, COMBUSTION
GASES OUT)
OVERALL DIMENSIONS OF ORIGINAL MATERIAL TEND TO BE RETAINED, RESIDUAL IS
SPONGY AND POROUS OFTEN BRITTLE
ALSO, IT CAN GO UNNOTICED ESPECIALLY IF COVERED WITH DEPOSIT OR DIRT
UNIFORM DEZINCIFICATION: USUALLY FOUND IN HIGH BRASSES, ACID ENVIRONMENTS
PLUG TYPE DEZINCIFICATION: USUALLY FOUND IN LOW BRASSES, ALKALINE, NEUTRAL
OR SLIGHTLY ACID ENVIRONMENTS

GRAPHITIZATION OR GRAPHITIC
CORROSION
THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN OF PEARLITE TO FERRITE + CARBON AT HIGH
TEMPERATURE.
GREY CAST IRON IS THE CHEAPEST ENGINEERING METAL2-4% C,1-3% SI. IT IS
HARD, BRITTLE, EASILY CAST; CARBON IS PRESENT AS MICROSCOPIC FLAKES OF
MATRIC GRAPHITE WITHIN MICROSTRUCTURE.
IN SOME ENVIRONMENTS (NOTABLY MILD, AQUEOUS SOILS AFFECTING BURIED
PIPE) THE IRON LEACHES OUT SLOWLY AND LEAVES GRAPHITE MATRIX BEHIND
WHICH APPEARS TO BE GRAPHITIC, SOFT AND CAN BE CUT WITH A KNIFE WHOSE
PORES ARE USUALLY FILLED WITH RUST.

DE-ALUMINIFICATION
A TYPE OF CORROSION THAT CONSISTS OF THE SELECTIVE LOSS OF ALUMINUM IN ALUMINUM
BRONZES AND NICKEL-ALUMINUM BRONZES CAN BE TERMED DE-ALUMINIFICATION.
DEALUMINIFICATION IS THE SPECIFIC PROCESS OF THE LEACHING OF ALUMINUM IN
ALUMINUM-BRONZE (OR OTHER CU-AL) ALLOYS
. ALUMINUM BRONZE IS USUALLY USED IN SEAWATER OR BRACKISH WATER APPLICATIONS
BECAUSE IT HAS A GOOD RESISTANCE TO EROSION AND CORROSION.
SOME METHODS FOR PREVENTING DEALUMINIZATION IN SEAWATER ARE:
i.

SPECIALLY TREATING/HEATING THE CASTING KNOWN AS A TEMPER ANNEAL

ii.

THE FORMATION OF THE GAMMA-2 PHASE CAN BE SUPPRESSED BY INCREASING NICKEL

CONTENT. IF GAMMA-2 FORMS ON SLOW COOLING, DEALUMINIZATION OCCURS IN SERVICE.

DE-SILICONIFICATION
THIS IS THE SELECTIVE LEACHING OF SILICON BRONZE ALLOYS. SILICON
BRONZES HAVE MODERATEMECHANICAL STRENGTHCOMBINED WITH VERY
GOOD AQUEOUS AND ATMOSPHERICCORROSIONRESISTANCE AND VERY
GOOD WELDABILITY. THE ENVIRONMENTS LIKELY FOR SILICON BRONZES TO
CORRODE ARE HIGH-TEMPERATURE STEAM AND ACIDIC SPECIES.

DE-STANNIFICATION
THIS CAN BE DEFINED AS THE REMOVAL OR THE CORROSION OF TIN IN CAST
TIN BRONZES. DE-STANNIFICATION IS LIKELY TO OCCUR IN AREAS
CONTAINING HOT BRINE OR STEAM.
TIN BRONZES AND LEADED TIN BRONZES ARE USED FOR MANUFACTURING
SLEEVE BUSHINGS.
HENCE THE CORROSION OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE TO BE HIGHLY AVOIDED.

DE-NICKELIFICATION
CAST COPPER-NICKEL ALLOYS ARE COPPERALLOYS, CONTAINING 9-31%
OF NICKEL (NI) AS THE MAJOR ALLOYING ELEMENT
DE-NICKELIFICATION IS THE PROCESS INVOLVING THE REMOVAL OR
CORROSION OF NICKEL FROM COPPER NICKEL ALLOYS
ENVIRONMENTS WHERE DE-NICKELIFICATION IS IN LARGE VOLUMES ARE
HIGH HEAT FLUX AND LOW WATER VELOCITY AREAS (IN REFINERY
CONDENSER TUBES).

DE-CARBURIZATION
DECARBURIZATION MAY BE DESCRIBED AS A METALLURGICAL PROCESS IN
WHICH THE SURFACE OF STEEL IS DEPLETED OF CARBON, BY HEATING
ABOVE THE LOWER CRITICAL TEMPERATURE OR BY CHEMICAL ACTION
ADVERSE EFFECTS OF DECARBURIZATION INCLUDE:
I.

REDUCED DUCTILITY

II.

REDUCED STRENGTH

III. FORMATION OF CRACKS

IV. FORMATION OF A SCALY SURFACE TEXTURE
. THE RATE OF DECARBURIZATION IS CONTROLLABLE. IF IT IS NOT INTENDED,
PROTECTIVE COATINGS ARE BENEFICIAL TO PREVENT CORROSION OF THE
STEEL

SELECTIVE LEACHING IN MOLTEN SALTS

MOLTEN SALTS ARE IONIC CONDUCTORS( LIKE AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS) AND
CAN PROMOTE ANODIC-CATHODIC ELECTROLYTIC CELLS, THEY CAN BE
AGGRESSIVE TO METALS
ALSO, SOME MOLTEN SALTS ARE FLUXES AND DISSOLVE SURFACE DEPOSITS
THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE PROTECTIVE. DEALLOYING OF CR FROM NIBASE ALLOYS AND STAINLESS STEELS CAN OCCUR IN THE SURFACE LAYERS
EXPOSED TO MOLTEN FLUORIDES; THE VACANCIES IN THE METAL LATTICE
THEN COALESCE TO FORM SUBSURFACE VOIDS WHICH AGGLOMERATE AND
GROW WITH INCREASING TIME AND TEMPERATURE

PREVENTION
MAKE
ENVIRONMENT LESS AGGRESSIVE E.G. DECREASE CONTENT, AIR MOISTURE AND PRESSURE.

ONE OF WHICH IS TO MINIMIZE AIR CONTACT THROUGH THE STEAM.

USE A BETTER ALLOY( COMMON CURE) E.G. RED BRASS( <15% ZN) FOR VERY CORROSIVE
ENVIRONMENTS LIKELY TO PRODUCE DEZINCIFICATION USE CUPRONICKELS
COATING ; OUTER COATS PREVENT SURFACE CONTACT WITH WATER AND OXYGEN. LIKE PAINT
(FORMS A LAYER OF INSOLUBLE IRON(III) PHOSPHATE(V) WITH ANY RUST PRESENT ON THE SURFACE)
GREASE(PROVIDES A PROTECTIVE LAYER FOR THE MOVING PARTS OF A MACHINERY PREVENTING IT
FROM EXPOSURE TO THE ATMOSPHERE.
CHROMIUM PLATING; ITS DECORATIVE AS WELL AS PROTECTIVE.
CATHODIC PROTECTION

CATHODIC PROTECTION
CP IS A TECHNIQUE TO CONTROL THE CORROSION OF A METAL SURFACE BY MAKING IT
WORK AS A CATHODE OF AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL.
THIS PROCESS IS USUALLY NOT PERMANENT AND HAS TO BE CARRIED OUT
CONTINUOUSLY WHEN THE ANODE IS ALMOST COMPLETELY CORRODED.
THIS IS ACHIEVED BY PLACING IN CONTACT WITH THE METAL TO BE PROTECTED ANOTHER
MORE EASILY CORRODED METAL TO ACT AS THE ANODE OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL.
CATHODIC PROTECTION SYSTEMS ARE MOST COMMONLY USED TO PROTECT STEEL, WATER
OR FUEL PIPELINES AND STORAGE TANKS, STEEL PIER PILES, SHIPS, OFFSHORE OIL
PLATFORMS AND ONSHORE OIL WELL CASINGS.

THANK YOU! HOPE YOU ENJOYED.