The corrosion resistance of stainless steel is dependent on the presence of a protective oxide layer (metal bonded to Oxygen) on its

surface, which can break down in very strong acids. Stainless steel resists corrosion by growing a hard shiny film of mostly chromium oxide to protect the base metal alloy from corrosion. In the under water marine environment stainless steel needs to get some of the oxygen which is dissolved in seawater to repair and grow this protective oxide surface film. If there is too little oxygen available from the seawater. Pitting and Crevice Corrosion are usually the result. These are the most common forms of Oxygen Depletion corrosion which affect stainless steel running gear in the marine environment. Crevice Corrosion can form on the surface of the stainless steel in salt water dependent upon the environmental conditions, surface finish, contamination and the composition of the steel itself. This pitting occurs under special conditions, involving sodium chloride (salt) in sea water and greatly exacerbated by the elevated temperatures . Once started these small pits can continue to grow and grow in a self sustaining cycle. Hydrochloric acid is produced by the corrosion which also attacks stainless steel, making a deeper crevice, which produces more acid, which produces a deeper pit. Hence the honeycomb effect of the corrosion damage. If left undisturbed, they can propagate to amazing depth over a few months time.

Cryogenic hardening is a cryogenic heat treating process where the material is cooled to approximately 185 C (301 F), usually using liquid nitrogen. It can have a profound effect on the mechanical properties of austenite steels, It is designed to increase the amount of martensite in the steel's crystal structure, increasing its strength and hardness. Presently this treatment is being practiced over tool steels, high-carbon, and high-chromium steels to obtain excellent wear resistance. Recent research shows that there is precipitation of fine carbides in the matrix during this treatment which imparts very high wear resistance to the steels. The austenitic stainless steels such as 316L are tough at cryogenic temperatures and can be classed as cryogenic steels. During the Cryogenic Tempering Process a material such as austenitic steel goes through a phase change that transforms the crystal lattice structure from body-centered cubic to facecentered cubic. The face-centered cubic structure has less space available for interstitial defects and results in a stronger, more durable material.