On the nature of the effect of non-metallic inclusions on the tendency of steel to local corrosion.

The compositions of non-metallic phases in samples of medium-carbon steel, which differed in production technology and level of contamination with corrosive non-metallic inclusions, have been studied in detail by scanning electron microscopy. It is shown that the effect of non-metallic inclusions on the tendency of steel to local corrosion can be related to the degree of non-stoichiometry of their composition. A mechanism for the formation of non-stoichiometric inclusions during steel production using a modern technological scheme is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]