Corrosion of Nonferrous Metals and Their Alloys

Corrosion is the result of the interaction of a material (metal) with its environment. %e corrosion process depends on the properties of both metal (and alloy) and surrounding environment. Usually, the more important factors causing corrosion are concentration of aggressive species (e.g., chloride), acidity (pH), fluid velocity, temperature, and potential (oxidizing power). Steel and other ferrous alloys are consumed in exceedingly large quantities because they have such a wide range of mechanical properties, may be fabricated with relative ease, and are economical to produce. However, steels have some distinct limitations, chiefly a relatively high density, a comparatively low electrical conductivity, and an inherent susceptibility to corrosion in some common environments. %us, for many applications, it is advantageous or even necessary to use other alloys that have more suitable property combinations. Alloy systems are classified either according to the base metal or according to some specific characteristic that a group of alloys shares. Authors were invited to submit original research articles and reviews for this special issue that included all aspects of the corrosion process of the following metal and alloy systems: aluminum, copper, magnesium, and titanium alloys; the refractory metals; the superalloys; the noble metals; and miscellaneous alloys, including those that have nickel, lead, tin, zirconium, and zinc as base metals. %e papers published in this special issue are as follows: