NEW RESULTS CONCERNING THE INFLUENCE OF HEAT TINGS DURING WELDING ON THE CORROSION RESISTANCE OF STAINLESS STEELS

High alloyed stainless steels stand out for a high corrosion resistance due to a protective passive layer which is formed when the content of chromium exceeds 13%. When welding these steels, heat tints arise in the area of the weldment. They may occur from flint yellow to intensive blue in the spectrum depending on the applied welding process and the quality of the backing gas used. Due to their structures, they partly drastically reduce the corrosion resistance of stainless steels so that they may lead to damages of the technical application of welded components. In the following the pitting resistance by different backing gases and the chemical composition of the stainless steel itself are described.