Influence of nickel additions on the corrosion behaviour of low nitrogen 22% Cr series duplex stainless steels

Four 22% Cr duplex stainless steel alloys containing varying nickel contents of approximately 5%, 7%, 9% and 13% were melted in a vacuum induction furnace, hot rolled, solution annealed and water quenched. Their corrosion behaviour was investigated in sulphuric acid and sodium chloride solutions using potentiodynamic polarization and chronoamperometric techniques. Increasing nickel contents have an appreciable influence on the observed corrosion behaviour. Polarization curves show similarities in the uniform corrosion behaviour of the alloys in the various solutions, but significant differences in their pitting resistance in chloride environments. Alloy 2209 (22% Cr - 9% Ni) generally exhibited the highest resistance to uniform corrosion, while alloy 2213 (22% Cr - 13% Ni) displayed the best pitting corrosion resistance. X-ray diffraction analysis of the surfaces of the alloys after corrosion in the different media revealed different corrosion products. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that the alloys were differently attacked by chloride ions, with different pit depths and morphologies. The corrosion behaviour exhibited by the alloys was attributed to the influence of nickel on phase modification, microstructural refinement, and the types of films formed in different environments. Uniform corrosion behaviour of the alloys was concluded to be predominantly controlled by phase composition and ratio, while pitting resistance was chiefly controlled by an alloy’s nickel contents.