Observations on the influence of cleaners on material corrosion in the food industry

Characterization studies have been carried out on cleaners and sanitizing processes that cause corrosion on AISI 304 and AISI 316 stainless steels and on pure aluminum—materials used in food industry equipment. Corrosion phenomena were evaluated by means of electrochemical polarization measurements, and surface deterioration was studied with the use of scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated a relation between corrosion potentials and damage morphology, which depended on the alkaline or acidic nature of the environment of the cleaning products and their effects on the surface condition of materials.