Application of polyaniline to galvanic anodic protection on stainless steel in H2SO4 solutions

A stand-alone polyaniline (PANI) film electrode was made and then applied to protect 1Cr13 stainless steel (a type of stainless steel typically used in China, 0–15% C, 13% Cr) from corrosion in highly acidic solution, up to 5 M H₂SO₄. The stand-alone PANI electrode and 1Cr13 were coupled to study their galvanic interactions. PANI is a cathode while 1Cr13 is an anodic. The results indicate that PANI with a certain area can quickly passivate the stainless steel and effectively maintain the steady passive state for a long period of time. This specific method of PANI preventing 1Cr13 from corrosion is called galvanic anodic protection (GAP). Moreover, the efficiency, mechanism, and security of GAP were discussed. The results demonstrate that the stand-alone PANI electrode may have a potential application to galvanic anodic protection on stainless steel in highly corrosive H₂SO₄ solutions.