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Salinity endurance of stainless steel

Q: I am a biochemical engineer and want to know whether a bioreactor of material construction of SS316L is capable of withstanding a salinity of 18% and PH 8. If not, what material can substitute stainless steel?

A: From the little information given, I would be concerned with pitting corrosion of the 316L stainless steel in the presence of the chlorides. The user does not mention other important considerations like temperature, degree of aeration, time of exposure, etc. In general, higher temperatures and the presence of oxygen (air) will make things worse from a corrosion standpoint. Stainless steel alloys with a higher molybdenum content, such as a duplex stainless steel like 2205 or a superaustenitic like AL6XN, would be better choices.