Comparison of influences of NaCl and CaCl2 on the corrosion of 11% and 17% Cr ferritic stainless steels during cyclic corrosion test

During the drying stage of the cyclic corrosion test on ferritic stainless steels in the NaCl environment, the current abruptly increased and then decreased to nearly zero, indicating that pits are initiated as the salt concentration is increased, which are then repassivated when the surface is completely dry. During the wet stage, the current remained high, suggesting that pits mainly propagate during the wet stage. In contrast, in the cyclic corrosion test in the CaCl₂ environment, the current was highest during the drying stage, indicating that the electrolyte is not completely dried and corrosion mainly propagates during the drying stage.     

Pitting corrosion behaviour of austenitic stainless steels - combining effects of Mn and Mo additions

Mn and Mo were introduced in AISI 304 and 316 stainless steel composition to modify their pitting corrosion resistance in chloride-containing media. Corrosion behaviour was investigated using gravimetric tests in 6 wt.% FeCl₃, as well as potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization measurements in 3.5 wt.% NaCl. Additionally, the mechanism of the corrosion attack developed on the material surface was analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray mapping and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The beneficial effect of Mo additions was assigned to Mo⁶⁺ presence within the passive film, rendering it more stable against breakdown caused by attack of aggressive Cl⁻ ions, and to the formation of Mo insoluble compounds in the aggressive pit environment facilitating the pit repassivation. Conversely, Mn additions exerted an opposite effect, mainly due to the presence of MnS inclusions which acted as pitting initiators.     

Effect of nickel alloying on crevice corrosion resistance of stainless steels

The crevice corrosion behaviour of stainless steels containing 25 mass% Cr, 3 mass% Mo and various amounts of Ni was investigated in natural seawater. The results showed that ferritic steels containing nickel were more resistant to corrosion than both ferritic steels without nickel and austenitic steels. The superiority of the Ni bearing ferritic steel over the other steels was in close agreement with the depassivation pH of those steels in acidic chloride solutions. The results showed that the addition of Ni to ferritic steel was effective in decreasing the depassivation pH and the dissolution rate in acidic chloride solutions at crevices.     

Effect of chromium content on intergranular corrosion and precipitation of Ti-stabilized ferritic stainless steels

Intergranular corrosion (IGC) and precipitation of ferritic stainless steels (FSS) were investigated with change in Cr content from 11 wt.% to 17 wt.%. The increase in Cr content improved IGC resistance as temperature and time for the sensitization became higher and longer, respectively, but it did not prevent IGC. The analysis on the intergranular precipitates revealed that Cr segregation around fine intergranular TiC in developed all FSS regardless of Cr content. This Cr segregation is proposed to explain the Cr depletion for the cause of IGC in Ti-stabilized Cr FSS.     

Pitting corrosion behaviour of austenitic stainless steels with Cu and Sn additions

The influence of Cu and Sn on the pitting corrosion resistance of AISI 304 and 316 stainless steels in chloride-containing media has been investigated. The corrosion behaviour was evaluated by cyclic polarization, potentiostatic CPT measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 3.5 wt% NaCl. The corrosion resistance was also studied in FeCl₃ under Standard ASTM G-48. According to the results, Cu addition favours pit nucleation but inhibits its growth, whereas Sn exerts the opposite effect, favouring pit growth and inhibiting its nucleation. Studies by SEM, X-ray mapping and EDS analysis showed Cu-, Cl- and O-rich corrosion products that reduce the extent of corrosion damage.     

Aqueous corrosion behaviour of sintered stainless steels manufactured from mixes of gas atomized and water atomized powders

The electrochemical corrosion improvement of a powder metallurgical (PM) stainless steel is studied in this work. Water atomized (WA) ferritic AISI 434L powders have been mixed with gas atomized (GA) austenitic (AISI 316L type) and ferritic (AISI 430L type) powders and processed through the traditional PM route. The addition of GA powder to the usual WA powder decreases the mean size of the pores of the sintered stainless steels. As the bigger pores are the ones that are able to act as crevices, unlike the smaller ones - that act as closed porosity, reduction in the number of big pores tends to improve the corrosion behaviour of PM stainless steels. Reductions of the corrosion rate (i_corr) and increases of the corrosion potential (E_corr) have been measured in neutral media, with and without chlorides. Moreover, the additional beneficial effect of achieving a duplex microstructure through the addition of GA austenitic powders to the WA ferritic powders has also been verified.     

Influence of ultrasound on pitting corrosion and crevice corrosion of SUS304 stainless steel in chloride sodium aqueous solution

The change of polarization curves and surface morphologies of SUS304 stainless steel was investigated in 3.5 mass% NaCl solution with or without the application of ultrasound (US). As the result, both the pitting corrosion and the crevice corrosion were largely suppressed by the application of US. The reason is attributed to the decrease in the concentration of hydrogen and chloride ions in pits or in the crevice by removing the corrosion product and stirring the liquid there.     

Pitting corrosion behaviour of PM austenitic stainless steels sintered in nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere

PM 304L and 316L stainless steel have been compacted at 400, 600 and 800 MPa and sintered in vacuum and in nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere. Postsintered heat treatments (annealing solution and ageing at 375, 675 and 875 °C) have been applied. Pitting corrosion resistance has been studied using anodic polarization measurements and the ferric chloride test. Anodic polarization curves reveal that densities and atmospheres are relevant on anodic behaviour. Pitting resistance is higher for PM 316L and for higher densities and vacuum as sintered atmosphere. Ageing heat treatments at medium and high temperatures are detrimental to passivity although susceptibility to pitting corrosion barely changes. But heat treatments at 375 °C even show certain improvement in pitting corrosion resistance. The results were correlated to the presence of precipitates and mainly to the lamellar constituent which appears in some samples sintered in nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere. The role of nitrogen on the samples sintered under nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere and its relation to the microstructural features was described.     

Effect of Geobacter sulfurreducens on the microbial corrosion of mild steel, ferritic and austenitic stainless steels

The influence of Geobacter sulfurreducens was tested on the anaerobic corrosion of four different steels: mild steel 1145, ferritic steel 403 and austenitic steels 304L and 316L. Within a few hours, the presence of cells induced a free potential (E_oc) ennoblement around +0.3 V on 1145 mild steel, 403 ferritic steel and 304L austenitic steels and slightly less on 316L. The kinetics of E_oc ennoblement depended on the amount of bacteria in the inoculum, but the final potential value depended essentially on the nature of the material. This effect was due to the capacity of G. sulfurreducens to create a direct cathodic reaction on steel surfaces, extracting the electrons directly from material. The presence of bacterial cells modified the corrosion features of mild steel and ferritic steel, so that corrosion attacks were gathered in determined zones of the surface. Local corrosion was significantly enhanced on ferritic steel. Potential ennoblement was not sufficient to induce corrosion on austenitic steels. In contrast G. sulfurreducens delayed the occurrence of pitting on 304L steel because of its capability to oxidize acetate at high potential values. The electrochemical behaviour of 304L steel was not affected by the concentration of soluble electron donor (acetate, 1–10 mM) or the amount of planktonic cells; it was directly linked to the biofilm coverage. After polarization pitting curves had been recorded, microscopic observations showed that pits propagated only in the surface zones where cell settlement was the densest. The study evidenced that Geobacter sulfurreducens can control the electrochemical behaviour of steels in complex ways that can lead to severe corrosion. As Geobacteraceae are ubiquitous species in sediments and soils they should now be considered as possible crucial actors in the microbial corrosion of buried equipment.     

Intergranular corrosion of welded joints of austenitic stainless steels studied by using an electrochemical minicell

An intergranular corrosion study of welded joints of austenitic stainless steels (AISI 304 and 316L) has been addressed. A specific small-scale electrochemical cell (minicell) has been used. Four different weldment zones have been studied. The electrochemical methods applied were the electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation test and electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation double loop test. These techniques showed that the HAZ was the most critical zone to intergranular corrosion for both materials. The weld metal was susceptible to interdendritic corrosion and the fusion line showed a mixture of intergranular and interdendritic corrosion. The effect of pre- and post-welding heat treatments for AISI 316L was analyzed. The HAZ was again the most critical zone in every heat treatment condition. The results were correlated to the microstructural features of the materials.     

Effect of ageing heat treatments on the microstructure and intergranular corrosion of powder metallurgy duplex stainless steels

The influence of ageing heat treatments (675 and 875 °C for 1.5 to 48 h) on the microstructure and intergranular corrosion resistance of sintered in nitrogen duplex stainless steels was investigated. The materials were obtained by sintering mixtures of austenitic AISI 316L and ferritic AISI 430L powders. Corrosion behaviour was evaluated by using electrochemical techniques. The beneficial effect of nitrogen on corrosion behaviour of solution annealed samples was established. During ageing, secondary phases were precipitated and the intergranular and transgranular corrosion resistance significantly decreased though repassivation was observed in specimens aged at 875 °C for times up to 8 h.     

Surface spreading of intergranular corrosion on stainless steels

The spreading of intergranular corrosion was investigated using micrometer scale simulations and experimental verifications on sensitized stainless steel [UNS S30400]. The degree of sensitization, presence of a pit, and applied potential all affected spreading. The inputs used in the simulation were obtained from Fe-XCr(X = 10, 12, 14, 16 wt.%)-Mo-Ni alloys representing various grain boundary Cr depletion levels. Corroding grain boundaries and pits triggered corrosion of nearby sensitized boundaries due to Ohmic potential drop. Large connected clusters of corroding grain boundaries formed at high fractions of Cr-depleted grain boundaries. The metallurgical, electrochemical and geometric conditions for this behavior could be forecasted.     

Microstructural evolution and localized corrosion resistance of an aged superduplex stainless steel

The present investigation was undertaken to analyze the effects of isothermal ageing treatments, carried out between 700 and 900 °C for a variety of times up to two weeks and followed by water quenching, on the microstructure and on the localized corrosion resistance of a superduplex stainless steel, SAF 2507.The quantitative metallography coupled with X-ray diffraction techniques was adopted to follow the microstructural evolution, together with SEM microscopy.Electrochemical potentiodynamic tests, as cyclic polarization curves recorded in sodium chloride solutions, together with weight loss measurements were employed to evaluate the susceptibility of the aged specimens to pitting corrosion.The influence of the transformation of ferrite into secondary austenite and sigma phase and of other microstructural variations, as chromium nitrides precipitation, on the stability of the passive film is shown. The susceptibility of the aged alloy to pitting corrosion phenomena, is related to sigma phase precipitation in association to the secondary austenite formation, which lead to a noticeable Cr depletion at grain boundaries.     

Influence of input power to vibrator and vibrator-to-specimen distance of ultrasound on pitting corrosion of SUS304 stainless steel in 3.5% chloride sodium aqueous solution

The pitting corrosion of SUSU304 steel can be suppressed by the application of a 19.5 kHz ultrasound (US) in 3.5% NaCl aqueous solution. At a constant vibrator-to-specimen distance of d = 76 mm equal to the wavelength, the suppression effect increased with the input power to vibrator and the largest effect was obtained at the power of I = 8. At constant input powers of I = 2 or 8, the suppression effect decreased with the increase in the vibrator-to-specimen distance, but the largest effect was obtained at d = 68 mm in each case of I = 2 and 8.     

Effect of the micro-plasma arc welding technique on the microstructure and pitting corrosion of AISI 316L stainless steels in heavy LiBr brines

The effects of the micro-plasma arc welding technique on the microstructure and pitting corrosion of different zones of an AISI 316L stainless steel were studied using different microscopy and electrochemical techniques. Galvanodynamic measurements and laser scanning confocal microscope were used to evaluate the corrosion evolution in situ. Results show, in general, the worst corrosion behaviour for the heat affected zone. Furthermore, there is a relation between the effects of the micro-plasma arc welding process on the materials microstructure and their pitting corrosion resistance. The weld zone was always in the cathodic position of the possible galvanic pairs.     

Effect of N and C on stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of austenitic Fe18Cr10Mn-based stainless steels

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of austenitic Fe18Cr10Mn alloys with 0.3N, 0.6N and 0.3N0.3C was investigated in aqueous chloride environment using a slow strain rate test method. The SCC susceptibility of Fe18Cr10Mn alloys in 2 M NaCl solution at 50 °C under constant anodic potential condition decreased with increase in N content from 0.3 to 0.6 wt%, and with addition of 0.3 wt% C to the Fe18Cr10Mn0.3N alloys. The present study strongly suggested that the beneficial effects of N and C on the SCC behavior of Fe18Cr10Mn alloys would be associated with the resistance to pitting corrosion initiation and the repassivation kinetics.     

The inhibitive effect of some bis-N,S-bidentate Schiff bases on corrosion behaviour of 304 stainless steel in hydrochloric acid solution

The inhibition effect of four new Schiff bases on the corrosion of 304 stainless steel in 1 M HCl has been studied by polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and weight loss measurements. Polarization curves indicated that all studied Schiff bases act as mixed type (cathodic/anodic) inhibitors. The adsorption of the inhibitors was well described by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and the adsorption isotherm parameters (K_ads, ΔG_ads) were determined at room temperature. Effect of temperature on the efficiency of the corrosion inhibition process was studied and the values of activation energy, pre-exponential factor (λ), enthalpy of activation and entropy of activation were calculated to elaborate the mechanism of corrosion inhibition. Differences in inhibition efficiency between four tested inhibitors are correlated with their chemical structures.     

Corrosion stability of ferritic stainless steels for solid oxide electrolyser cell interconnects

Long-term oxidation behaviour of eight ferritic steels with 20-29 wt.% chromium (F 20 T, TUS 220 M, AL 453, Crofer 22 APU, Crofer 22 H, Sanergy HT, E-Brite and AL 29-4C) has been studied. The samples were cut into square coupons, ground and annealed for 140-1000 h at 1173 K in flowing, wet hydrogen, air and pure oxygen. The reaction kinetics was followed by mass increase of individual samples over time. Parabolic rate law was observed for most measurements. The respective rate constants have been evaluated and compared. The chemical composition of the oxide scale was investigated by XRD and SEM/EDXS. The major constituent is chromium oxide. Other oxides, such as (Mn, Cr)₃O₄, MnTiO₃, SiO₂ or Al₂O₃, are also present in different amounts depending on the chemical composition of the steel. The oxidation rate increases with increasing oxygen partial pressure and decreasing chromium concentration. Chromium diffusion coefficients in Cr₂O₃ and parabolic rate constants are compared. The reaction mechanism for the chromia formation is suggested. The results are discussed with respect to the applications of the steels in a working solid oxide electrolyser cell stack. Furthermore, suggestions for the development of a superior alloy composition are given.     

Corrosion behaviour of duplex stainless steels sintered in nitrogen

Duplex stainless steels obtained through powder metallurgy (PM) technology from austenitic AISI 316L and ferritic AISI 430L powders were mixed on different amounts to obtain biphasic structures with austenite/ferrite ratio of 50/50, 65/35 and 85/15. Prepared mixes of powders have been compacted at 750 MPa and sintered in N₂-H₂ (95% and 5%) at 1250 °C for 1 h. Corrosion behaviour, using electrochemical techniques such as anodic polarization measurement, cyclic anodic polarization scan and electrochemical potentio-kinetic reactivation test and double loop electrochemical potentio-kinetic reactivation double loop test were evaluated. For duplex stainless steels, when austenite/ferrite ratio increases the corrosion potential shifts to more noble potential and passive current density decreases. The beneficial effect of annealing solution heat treatment on corrosion behaviour was established and was compared with corrosion behaviour of vacuum sintered duplex stainless steels. The results were correlated with the microstructural features.     

Investigation of intergranular corrosion of 316L stainless steel diffusion bonded joint by electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation

Electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation technique (EPR) was employed to assess degree of sensitization in 316L stainless steel diffusion bonded joint (DBJ). The result showed the degree of sensitization of DBJ was much smaller than that of base material (BM). No chromium carbides precipitated at grain boundaries in DBJ after 100 h treatment at 650 °C, while chromium carbides could be seen clearly in the BM after 8 h treatment, indicating that DBJ has better intergranular corrosion resistance than BM. Diffusion bonding technique will not increase intergranular corrosion susceptibility of 316L DBJ. Reactivation potential has the biggest effect on sensitization.