Microstructure engineering for corrosion resistance in structural alloy design

Abstract

During structural alloy development, the initial microstructure design is mainly considered in the context of achieving a balance of mechanical properties, with corrosion resistance often considered much later in the process. This perspective uses illustrations from degradation mechanisms in 3D-printed alloys and in-service microstructure evolution-driven mechanisms to show the importance of microstructure design for corrosion resistance and mechanical properties simultaneously, to improve the reliability of critical infrastructure.