The objective of this review is to outline the aqueous corrosion research activities being undertaken on iron aluminides. Key results are extracted and reviewed from publications covering the past 25 years of research activity in aqueous corrosion behaviour of iron aluminides. This review deals with phenomena, which are related with electrochemical corrosion such as passivation and repassivation kinetics, breakdown of passivity, chemistry of the passive film and mechanism of passivation. The role of constituent elements and the effect of alloying elements on the corrosion behaviour of iron aluminides have also been discussed. To assess corrosion resistance of iron aluminides a comparative study was put up with that of stainless steels. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.