Al₂O₃-MnS Inclusions and Pitting Corrosion in the Weld Heat-Affected Zone

Manganese sulfide inclusions have been identified as a key factor contributing to the degradation of pitting corrosion resistance in both carbon and stainless steels. However, the precise reasons behind the differential reactivity of various sulfides, with some serving as active sites for pitting while others remain inactive, are not yet fully understood. The effect of debonding occurring at the interface between these inclusions and the steel matrix in relation to pitting corrosion has not been extensively investigated. In this study, an examination of a service-exposed pipeline girth weld was conducted. Immersion testing in blowdown water and multiscale characterization techniques investigated the inclusion-matrix interface debonding within the heat-affected zone. Our findings suggest that interfacial debonding is more likely at the Al₂O₃MnS cluster interface. This observation offers a rationale for the selective reactivity of sulfides that form clusters with oxides, highlighting the likelihood that only sulfides clustering with oxides act as active pitting initiation sites.