Most metals have either: a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure - a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure - or a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure. For example, Austenitic Stainless Steel has an fcc structure, while Iron and Steel have a bcc structure.
With respect to corrosion, the metallurgy of an alloy may alter or cause degradation. Among other potential problematic areas where corrosion can develop, Grain Boundaries are regions of high energy, and (in many cases) tend to corrode preferentially. The segregation of alloying constituents may occur and alter the corrosion resistance of specific regions of an alloy.
