The removal of Al from some phases but not others is known as "selective leaching".

Selective leaching can be the pre-final stage of depletion gilding.

Selective leaching can be used to produce powdered materials with extremely high surface area, such as Raney nickel.

Selective leaching often involves grain boundary depletion mechanisms.

Internal oxidation is distinct from selective leaching.

Graphitic corrosion is selective leaching of iron from grey cast iron, where iron gets removed and graphite grains remain intact.

This selective leaching process is known as hydrogen attack, or high temperature hydrogen attack and leads to decarburization of the steel and loss of strength and ductility.

On cast iron, a graphitic corrosion selective leaching may be the result, with iron being consumed by the bacteria, leaving graphite matrix with low mechanical strength in place.

The most common example is selective leaching of zinc from brass alloys containing more than 15% zinc (dezincification) in presence of oxygen and moisture, e.g. from brass taps in chlorine-containing water.

Selective leaching, also called dealloying, demetalification, parting and selective corrosion, is a corrosion type in some solid solution alloys, when in suitable conditions a component of the alloys is preferentially leached from the material.