Loch- und Spaltkorrosion von Chrom- und Chromnickelstählen in chloridhaltigen Lösungen

Pitting and crevice corrosion of stainless steels in chloride solutions In practice stainless steels in chloride containing waters are found to be susceptible to crevice corrosion and pitting. Corrosion tests were carried out on AISI 304 L stainless using a simulated crevice and the compositions of the electrolyte in the crevice determined. Long term potentiostatic tests were used to determine the critical potentials for crevice corrosion (U_S), for various steels in sodium chloride solutions at different concentrations and temperatures. The steels studied were 22 CrMo V 121, X 22 CrNi 17 and AISI 304 L. Like the critical pitting potential (U_L), U_S was found to have a strong dependence on the chloride content of the external solution. At higher concentrations the two potentials were similar. At lower concentrations the U_S was lower than U_L. The knowledge of these critical potentials together with well known rest potentials for a steel in an electrolyte of known concentration, allows conclusions to be drawn about its susceptibility to pitting and crevice corrosion. The method is suitable also for other passive metals.