Interpretation of electrochemically and chemically investigated corrosion behaviors of 316L SS in acid chloride environments

The electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel was investigated in acid chloride environments, and pitting potentials were determined electrochemically and chemically. An increase in the anodic maximum current density was observed upon decreasing the cathodic potential from which the scan was initiated to determine the polarization curve. To determine the critical pitting potential through the chemical method, the potential was increased by increasing the concentration of ferric ions in ferric chloride while holding the chloride ion concentration constant with sodium chloride. When 316L stainless steel was immersed in 15 g/1 of FeCl₃6H₂O containing the same chloride ion concentration as 5% NaCl with pH=2 at 57°C, the corrosion potential increased to 0.47 V (SHE) within two minutes due to initial passivation. Immediately after reaching 0.47 V (SHE), which was just above the pitting potential of 0.45 V (SHE) determined electrochemically in 5% NaCl (pH=2, 57°C), the corrosion potential continuously decreased, indicating the onset and propagation of pitting corrosion. A correlation between the electrochemical and chemical methods can be verified if the proper measurements are made and the observations are properly interpreted.