PREFACE 



Since 1959 the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory has been develop- 

 ing the technology necessary for designing, constructing, inspecting and 

 maintaining Naval structures and fixed equipment on the ocean floor. A 

 part of this program is to determine the effects of deep ocean environ- 

 ments on the corrosion of metals and alloys. 



A Submersible Test Unit (STU) was designed, on which many test 

 specimens can be mounted. The STU can be lowered to the ocean floor 

 for long periods of exposure, then retrieved. 



Thus far, two deep-ocean test sites in the Pacific Ocean have been 

 selected. Six STUs have been exposed and recovered. Test Site I (nomi- 

 nal depth of 6,000 feet) is approximately 81 nautical miles west-south- 

 west of Port Hueneme, California, latitude 33°44'N and longitude 

 120°45'W. Test Site II (nominal depth of 2,500 feet) is 75 nautical 

 miles west of Port Hueneme, California, latitude 34°06'N and longitude 

 120°42'W. In addition, a surface seawater exposure Site V was estab- 

 lished at Point Mugu, California, latitude 34°06'N and longitude 

 119°07'W, to obtain surface immersion data for comparison purposes. 



This report presents the results of the evaluations of stainless 

 steels exposed at the above three sites. 



MBL/WHOI 



0301 OOtJOEMS 1 



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