The improved corrosion resistance of steel in water after abrasive blasting with alumina

Polarization resistance studies and cathodic delamination studies provide evidence that steel abrasively blasted with alumina exhibits a lower initial rate of corrosion in distilled water than similar steels blasted with steel grit or abraded with silicon carbide paper. Auger spectroscopy and electron microprobe analysis revealed the presence of significant aluminum on the surface, largely in the form of embedded particles but possibly also as a constituent of the oxide film. Non-metallic abrasive blasting may have application in the chemical modification of metal surfaces.