What condition typically leads to the formation of fretting corrosion?

Fretting corrosion is typically caused by vibration and slight movement between two surfaces that are in contact but not tightly clamped together. This small relative movement creates wear on the surface of the materials, effectively disturbing the protective oxide layers. As the surfaces continuously rub against each other, tiny particles are generated, which can further exacerbate the corrosion process. The presence of these minute wear particles and the disturbance of protective layers leads to localized corrosion, known as fretting corrosion.

While excessive moisture can contribute to corrosion in general, it is the relative motion between the surfaces that specifically initiates fretting. Improper installation of rivets may lead to other forms of failure but does not directly relate to fretting corrosion. Similarly, inappropriate material selection could lead to corrosion susceptibility in different mechanisms, but it is not a defining factor in the occurrence of fretting corrosion specifically. Therefore, the condition that directly leads to fretting corrosion is the vibration and slight movement between the surfaces in contact.