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Received: August 13, 2018; Revised: August 21, 2018; Accepted: August 23, 2018
Abstract: Stainless steel can be classified into three categories depending on the microstructure as austenitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel and martensitic stainless steel. Generally, stainless steel is extremely resistant to corrosion as the name implies. However, under specific environments, susceptibility to localized corrosion such as pitting, intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking increases. This paper reviewed the state of arts on intergranular corrosion mechanisms, countermeasures on intergranular corrosion and intergranular corrosion test methods. Intergranular corrosion is mostly related with chromium depletion at the grain boundary and sometimes with segregation of electroactive elements in solution annealed stainless steel. Countermeasures on intergranular corrosion include avoiding chromium depletion by heat treatment and the addition of alloying elements. Sensitization evaluation of stainless steel was performed either through acid immersion test or electrochemical test. The methods were standardized in (Japanese Industrial Standards) . Even though are useful in evaluating the degree of sensitization for industrial purpose but do not provide detailed information about sensitization mechanism, cause and chromium profile.