Influence of carbon and nitrogen on corrosion of high purity Fe-50mass%Cr alloy

High purity Fe-50mass%Cr alloys containing (C+N) in the range of 30 to 500 mass ppm were prepared and their corrosion resistance was investigated. Pitting potential in a 3.5mass%NaCl solution at 343K rose with reducing (C+N) content. Alloys containing (C+N) at less than 100 mass ppm did not sustain pitting corrosion. However, alloys containing 500 mass ppm (C+N) corroded severely in 6%FeCl 3 +1/20N HCl solutions. Heat treatment at 923K was recognized as influencing corrosion resistance due to precipitation of carbonitrides only in the case of the alloy containing 500 mass ppm (C+N).