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​​​​​A Short Discussion of Brewery Materials and Corrosion

This article provides a review of basic corrosion mechanisms of austenitic steels commonly used in breweries for tanks and piping, including galvanic corrosion, pitting, weld sensitization, and stress corrosion cracking. Related topics such as passivation are discussed, including current passivation treatments. Finally, the most common alloys are discussed to help the brewer identify possible material alternatives when purchasing tanks and lines. The 300 series stainless steels are most common, particularly 304L, but it is also the most susceptible to brewery corrosion and cracking. Ferritic and duplex stainless steels are more corrosion resistant but are more expensive.

Keywords: 304L, corrosion, chlorides, SCC, welding, duplex, passivation​