When stainless steels are welded, the area near the weld—known as the heat-affected zone (HAZ)—can reach temperatures high enough to precipitate chromium carbides at the grain boundaries.
This phenomenon is called sensitization.
The chromium depletion around these carbides makes the grain boundaries susceptible to corrosion, especially intergranular corrosion, leading to failure in service.
This is a critical issue in applications where corrosion resistance is essential.