The phenomenon of interfacial corrosion of brazed stainless steel joints is described, and previous work reviewed. Experiments are described in which an austenitic (En58E) and a ferritic (En60) steel are examined in combination with certain proprietary braze fillers in the form of ‘as brazed’ and ‘brazed and machined’ specimens in contact with stagnant tap water. The results indicate that the observed separation at the joint interface is probably associated with selective dissolution of one component of the lamellar eutectic structure, thus providing access to the interface for the aqueous environment. Residual stress at the interface may play a supplementary role in promoting subsequent failure.
