Chloride-based deposits can significantly accelerate the progress of elevated temperature degradation of
stainless steels and nickel-base alloys. Such deposits are present in the byproducts of combustion of
alternative fuels and are common in the environment experienced by hot automotive exhaust
components. A test was developed to investigate the susceptibility of materials to attack under chloride
salt deposits at elevated temperatures, using a sample incorporating stressed, unstressed, and welded
segments. Both gravimetric and metal recession measurements were used to determine the progression
of corrosion. Nickel-base alloys were found to be resistant to deposit-assisted attack, while common
stainless steels were prone to scaling and exfoliation. Results will also be presented on recently
developed higher-alloy content stainless steels which exhibit corrosion resistance similar to that of the
nickel-base superalloys, and on lean austenitic stainless alloys intended as replacements for traditional
austenitic stainless steels.
Keywords: high temperature oxidation, corrosion, chloride salts