Methodology for Stress Concentration Analysis in Corrosion Pits Using the Finite Element Method

ABSTRACT This paper aims to propose a methodology for stress concentration analysis in corrosion pits measured by surface topography techniques, such as interferometry. A filter was proposed to smooth the measured profile of pits, remaining the same aspect ratio ( a /2 c ). There was an increase in the stress concentration factor () for discretized pit models compared with ellipsoidal pit models. The increase was already expected, since there is a pronounced effect of secondary pits in the . The effect of the pit surface profile was more pronounced than a /2 c in the . The maximum stress was at the maximum pit depth, or it was dislocated to secondary pits, depending on the pit geometry. The for measured pits is possibly even greater, considering the real pit profiles.