Numerical Investigation of Pitting Corrosion in Mechanically Jointed Components

Abstract Pitting corrosion is a critical durability concern for mechanically joined sheet metal components commonly used in automotive and industrial applications. The narrow interfacial gaps created during mechanical joining—typically of tens to hundreds of micrometers—lead to highly localized chemical environments with nonuniform distributions of chloride ions, hydroxide ions, and oxygen. These micro-environmental variations strongly influence pit initiation and growth, however, their impact on joint performance remains insufficiently quantified. The present numerical study investigates the sensitivity of pitting corrosion to local chemical conditions using a phase-field modeling framework. Systematic parameter variations are performed to examine how different electrolyte compositions affect pit evolution within joint interfaces. The results provide insight into corrosion-driven degradation mechanisms in mechanically joined assemblies and support future efforts to integrate corrosion modeling into the performance prediction of sheet metal components.