Proper Heat Treatment to Reduce Intergranular Corrosion Susceptibility of Austenitic 304 and Ferritic 430 Stainless Steels

Due to different heat treatment procedures being required to reduce intergranular corrosion (IGC) of austenitic AISI 304(ASS304) and ferritic AISI 430(FSS430) stainless steels, this work is aimed at achieving proper heat treatment for these metals simultaneously. Heat treatment at a temperature of 900°C for 36 hours followed by water quenching was an applicable heat treatment procedure for this study. This treatment not only prevented the formation of chromium carbides but also promoted the diffusion of chromium back to replenish chromium-depleted zones.