Several review articles1-4 have addressed the role of sulfide inclusions in iron, carbon steels, and stainless steels (SSs) as preferred sites for the initiation of pitting corrosion. Sulfides containing primarily manganese are particularly effective nucleating sites because MnS is the most readily soluble of the commonly observed sulfides. Sulfide geometry is also Important because the local aggressive environment created by sulfide dissolution must be contained to stimulate further metal dissolution. For example, dissolution of the sulfide shell surrounding an oxide particle creates a microcrevice that readily initiates pitting. Similarly, it has been shown that the edges transverse to the rolling direction of sheet material are particularly susceptible to pitting5-7 because of the geometry and number of the exposed sulfide stringers.
In comparison, the literature contains few studies of the pit initiation behavior of FeNi and FeNiCo alloys. A related investigation8 was undertaken to determine the cause of...
