ASTM G161-24 PDF

Full title and description

ASTM G161-24 — Standard Guide for Corrosion-Related Failure Analysis. This guide provides recommended practices and checklists to assist investigators who encounter corrosion or suspected corrosion as a causative or contributory factor in a failure investigation of metallic equipment or components. It emphasizes collection of site, operational, environmental, and sampling information together with metallurgical and electrochemical considerations to help deduce causes of corrosion-related failures.

Abstract

This standard guide describes key issues to consider when examining metallic failures where corrosion may be involved, including appearance changes, leaks, cracking, weld failures, loss of function, and electrical continuity problems. It outlines recommended documentation, sampling of corrosion products and environments, metallurgical examination, and interpretation approaches; an appendix checklist (Appendix X1) supports systematic evaluations. The guide is concise (6 pages) and intended as an aid—not a guaranteed step-by-step solution for every failure scenario.

General information

• Status: Active (current guide).
• Publication date: November 21, 2024.
• Publisher: ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials).
• ICS / categories: 77.060 (Corrosion of metals).
• Edition / version: G161-24 (designation G0161-24); DOI 10.1520/G0161-24.
• Number of pages: 6 pages.

(Publication date, edition, DOI, ICS code and pagination as recorded on the ASTM document summary.)

Scope

This guide covers principal considerations for evaluating metallic failures where corrosion is suspected to be a major or minor factor. Covered topics include recognition of corrosion-related surface changes and failure modes (tarnish, rust, pitting, cracking, leaks, catastrophic rupture), documentation of failure-site conditions, operational and exposure history, environmental and corrosion-product sampling, metallurgical and electrochemical investigation, morphology (mode) of failure, and deduction of likely causative mechanisms. The guide is intended to assist investigators in identifying useful information and does not promise to identify the cause in every case.

Key topics and requirements

• Failure-site documentation and photographic records (orientation, scale, condition).
• Collection and preservation of corrosion products and environmental samples for laboratory analysis.
• Review of operational, maintenance, and exposure history to identify contributory factors.
• Metallurgical examination (microstructure, inclusions, heat-affected zones) and identification of corrosion morphology (uniform, pitting, crevice, intergranular, stress corrosion cracking).
• Electrochemical and analytical testing where appropriate to identify corrosive species and mechanisms.
• Use of a checklist (Appendix X1) to ensure systematic, reproducible failure evaluations.

These topics reflect the guide’s emphasis on systematic evidence collection and multidisciplinary interpretation.

Typical use and users

Typical users include corrosion engineers, failure-analysis consultants, metallurgists, forensic investigators, laboratory analysts, quality and reliability engineers, insurance loss adjusters, and regulatory or plant safety personnel. The guide is used during root-cause investigations of in-service equipment failures, post-incident forensic analyses, warranty or liability inquiries, and by laboratories that support corrosion testing and failure investigations.

Related standards

Standards and guides commonly used alongside G161 include other ASTM corrosion documents such as G1 (Preparation of Corrosion Test Specimens), G16 (statistical treatment of corrosion data), G61 (localized corrosion testing), and various test/practice standards for specific corrosion tests and monitoring methods. Practitioners often consult test methods and practices from the ASTM G committee relevant to the mechanism under investigation.

Keywords

corrosion, failure analysis, sampling, corrosion product, metallurgical examination, failure morphology, environmental sampling, root cause, checklist.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ASTM G161-24 is a short guide published by ASTM International titled "Standard Guide for Corrosion-Related Failure Analysis" that provides recommended practices, documentation items, and a checklist to support investigations where corrosion is suspected.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers recognition of corrosion-related failure modes, site documentation, collection and preservation of corrosion and environmental samples, metallurgical and electrochemical considerations, and use of a checklist (Appendix X1) to structure failure analyses. It is advisory and not a prescriptive test method.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Corrosion and materials engineers, failure-analysis consultants, forensic metallurgists, labs supporting corrosion testing, plant reliability staff, and insurance or legal professionals involved in failure investigations.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: As of the latest ASTM document summary, G161-24 is the active/current edition (published/last updated in November 2024). Users should verify currency for their project (ASTM maintains update records).

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of the ASTM G (Corrosion) series of standards and is developed under subcommittees of ASTM Committee G01. It complements other G-series test methods and guides used in corrosion testing and failure analysis.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Corrosion, failure analysis, sampling, metallurgical examination, corrosion morphology, environmental sampling, checklist.