Influence of peening on the corrosion properties of AISI 304 stainless steel

The effects of peening treatment on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of AISI 304SS were investigated. Shot and ultrasonic peening were performed on the austenitic stainless steel, and peened specimens were compared in terms of microstructure, surface roughness and corrosion resistance. Nano-sized grains, multi-directional mechanical twins and strain-induced martensite were formed on the surfaces, and the volume fraction of strain-induced martensite in the ultrasonically peened specimen was higher than that of the shot-peened specimen. The ultrasonically peened specimen which had smoother surface and contained more strain-induced martensite showed superior general and localized corrosion resistance to the as-received and shot-peened specimens.     

The relation between microstructure and corrosion behavior of AZ80 Mg alloy following different extrusion temperatures

Cast AZ80 alloy was subjected to conventional extrusion pressing at 250 °C, 300 °C, and 350 °C. In order to characterize the changes in their microstructure a thorough study was done through various microscopy analyses including Optical Microscope, SEM, and TEM.Corrosion performance of each condition was investigated in 3.5% NaCl solution saturated with Mg(OH)₂ (pH ≈ 10.5) using immersion and AC and DC polarization tests. The local potential difference on the surface resulting from different compositions of second phase particles to the matrix was investigated using scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM) technique.The results show grain refinement by a factor of about 15-20 and obvious evidence of dynamic recrystallization were identified leading to the formation of nano-sized grains after the extrusion process.The corrosion resistance of cast AZ80 alloy drastically decreases after the thermo-mechanical processes and the main factor is high dependence on different phase rearrangements before and after the extrusion process, especially β phase. For the extrusion conditions, different corrosion resistances are attributable especially to dislocation rearrangement results by grain growth after dynamic recrystallization.     

Effect of tensile strain on the rate of marine corrosion of steel plates

It has been observed in the shipping industry that the rate of corrosion of steel plate may increase with longer duration of exposure, typically over many years. This effect has been attributed to the flexure of ships plates causing the loss of protective rust layers. The present paper describes the results of laboratory experiments in which plates with pre-existing rusts were subject to high levels of tensile strain, with and without subsequent exposure and corrosion. All rusts were obtained by exposing the steel to a natural marine environment, including the atmospheric and tidal zones. Careful observation of the rusts under tensile strain conditions showed that only strains near and beyond the elastic limit of the steel have the capacity to cause significant damage to the rust layers. Subsequent short-term exposure tests on pre-corroded and pre-strained steel coupons showed that there can be a moderate (10–15%) increase in the short-term corrosion rate.     

Influence of stress on passive behaviour of steel bars in concrete pore solution

The influence of stress on passive behaviour of steel bars in concrete pore solution was studied with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The passive ability of steel decreased as the applied load increased and higher load had much greater influence on passivation than repeated loading of small magnitude. A micro-crack model was presented to explain the damage of passive layer by loads. Lower load caused micro-cracks in the passive film which might be completely recovered after unloading. Under higher load more micro-cracks were produced in the passive film and some may penetrate the film, leading to irreversible damages.     

Corrosion behaviour of low-carbon bainitic steel under a constant elastic load

The corrosion behaviour of low-carbon bainitic weathering steel in an environment containing chlorine ions (Cl⁻) was studied by applying different constant elastic loads. The results showed that the applied elastic load reduces the resistance of the rust layer to Cl⁻ diffusion because of the porous structure as well as the enhanced anion selectivity in the rust: this leads to more severe corrosion of the steel compared with load-free conditions. The corrosion rate increased with increasing loads. Corrosion enhancement can be attributed to mechanical-chemical interactions at the steel surface.     

Effect of surface nanocrystallization on the corrosion behaviour of AISI 409 stainless steel

The influence of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) on the corrosion behaviour of AISI 409 grade stainless steel in 0.6 M NaCl was studied. SMAT using 2 mm ∅ 316L stainless steel (SS) balls for 15, 30 and 45 min and 5 mm ∅ balls for 15 min offers a better corrosion protective ability. In contrast, treatment using 5 mm ∅ balls for 30 and 45 min and by using 8 mm ∅ balls for 15, 30 and 45 min, induces microstrain and defect density that results in a decrease in corrosion resistance.     

Localized corrosion behaviour of reinforcement steel in simulated concrete pore solution

The correlation of localized corrosion behavior and microstructure of reinforcement steel in simulated concrete pore solutions was investigated. The SEM/EDS analysis showed that most of ferrite, minor amount of pearlite and some MnS inclusions existed on the steel surface. The SKPFM results indicated a higher corrosion tendency at the ferrite grain boundaries, pearlite grains and MnS inclusions. The EIS and electrochemical polarization measurements demonstrated the influence of pH and chloride concentration on the corrosion behavior. In situ optical observations and AFM images revealed a detail of the localized corrosion behavior, which was in good agreement with the results from the other measurements.     

Electrochemical corrosion of X65 pipe steel in oil/water emulsion

The electrochemical corrosion behavior of X65 pipeline steel in the simulated oil/water emulsion was investigated under controlled hydrodynamic and electrochemical conditions by rotating disk electrode technique. Results demonstrated that mass-transfer of oxygen plays a significant role in the cathodic process of steel in both oil-free and oil-containing solutions. Electrode rotation accelerates the oxygen diffusion and thus the cathodic reduction. The higher limiting diffusive current density measured in oil-containing solution is due to the elevated solubility of oxygen in oil/water emulsion. The anodic current density decreases with the increase of electrode rotating speed, which is attributed to the accelerated oxygen diffusion and reduction, enhancing the steel oxidation. Addition of oil decreases the anodic dissolution of steel due to the formation of a layer of oily phase on steel surface, increasing the reaction activation energy. The steel electrode becomes more active at the elevated temperature, indicating that the enhanced formation of oxide scale is not sufficiently enough to offset the effect resulting from the enhanced anodic dissolution reaction kinetics. The corrosion reaction mechanism is changed upon oil addition, and the interfacial reaction is activation-controlled, rather than mass-transfer controlled. When sand particles are added in oil/water emulsion, there is a significant increase of corrosion of the steel. The presence of sands in the flowing slurry would impact and damage the oxide film and oily film formed on the steel surface, exposing the bare steel to the corrosive solution.     

Descaling ability of low-alloy steel wires depending on composition and rolling process

Low-alloy steels made by industrial processes are covered with an iron oxide layer. Descaling is necessary before any shaping operations by wire drawing can be done to transform wires. In order to ease the descaling stage, this oxide layer must have low adhesion. This paper presents a study of the descaling ability of different steels. The results presented in this paper show that it is possible to qualitatively predict the adhesion capacity of the scale depending on the alloy’s composition and on the mechanical and oxidation conditions during the hot rolling stage.     

Pitting corrosion of cold rolled solution treated 17-4 PH stainless steel

In the present paper the effects the of cold rolling on pitting corrosion of 17-4 precipitation hardening stainless steel in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution was investigated. In order to clarify the effect of cold rolling the metastable pitting has been examined in more details. The results presented show that cold rolling increases the dissolution rate of metastable pitting in a manner which facilitates the transition from metastable to stable pitting. On the other hand, the frequency of occurrence of metastable pits decreases with cold working. In overall, cold rolling has no significant effect on pitting potential.     

Microstructure and corrosion behaviour of pulsed plasma-nitrided AISI H13 tool steel

The effect of pulsed plasma nitriding temperature and time on the pitting corrosion behaviour of AISI H13 tool steel in 0.9% NaCl solutions was investigated by cyclic polarization. The pitting potential (E_pit) was found to be dependent on the composition, microstructure and morphology of the surface layers, whose properties were determined by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The best corrosion protection was observed for samples nitrided at 480 °C and 520 °C. Under such experimental conditions the E_pit-values shifted up to 1.25 V in the positive direction.     

Stress corrosion cracking behavior of X70 pipe steel in an acidic soil environment

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of X70 pipe steel was investigated in an extracted acidic soil solution by slow strain rate test (SSRT), potentiodynamic polarization curve measurements and surface analysis technique. The SCC process and mechanism of X70 steel in the acidic soil solution is mixed-controlled by both anodic dissolution and the hydrogen involvement. With the different applied potentials, the dominance of SCC process changes. At a relatively less negative potential, the steel SCC is based primarily on the anodic dissolution mechanism. When the applied potential is shifted negatively, hydrogen is involved in the cracking process, resulting in a transgranular cracking mode. With the further negative shift of applied potential, the SCC of the steel follows completely a hydrogen-based mechanism, with a river-bed shaped brittle feature of the fracture surface. Heat treatment alters the microstructure of the steel, resulting in a change of SCC susceptibility. In particular, the quenched steel with a bainite microstructure has a high susceptibility to SCC in the acidic soil, while the as-received steel with a ferrite matrix have a low SCC susceptibility.     

Micro-electrochemical characterization of corrosion of welded X70 pipeline steel in near-neutral pH solution

The local corrosion behavior of welded X70 pipeline steel in near-neutral pH solution was studied by micro-electrochemical measurements, including scanning vibrating electrode and local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The microstructure of the welded steel was observed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It is demonstrated that the microstructure of weld metal consists of acicular ferrite and grain boundary ferrite, while that of heat-affected zone is a mixture of acicular ferrite, bainitic ferrite and a few martensite/austenite microconstituents. The microstructure of base steel is typically ferrite and pearlite. Electrochemical corrosion mechanism of welded X70 steel does not experience change upon hydrogen-charging, or stressing, or both. Hydrogen-charging is capable of enhancing the local anodic dissolution of the steel. The resistance of corrosion product layer decreases with hydrogen-charging, and heat-affected zone has the largest dissolution current upon hydrogen-charging. The increase of applied stress enhanced the anodic dissolution of welded X70 steel, especially the heat-affected zone, in near-neutral pH solution. Maximum current is observed in heat-affected zone, and increases with the increase of applied stresses. The total synergistic effect of hydrogen-charging (10 mA/cm²) and applied stress (550 MPa) on anodic dissolution of welded X70 steel in near-neutral pH solution is determined to be within the range of 5.7 and 6.5, with a maximum value encountering in heat-affected zone.     

Effects of cold working path on strain concentration, grain boundary microstructure and stress corrosion cracking in Alloy 600

Grain boundary microstructure, strain distribution and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in one dimensional (1D), two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) cold worked Alloy 600 were investigated. The cold working decreased the annealing twins and increased low angle boundaries. 2D cold working caused lower strain concentration at grain boundaries than 1D and 3D cold working. The intergranular SCC (IGSCC) susceptibility was the highest in 1D cold worked alloy while lowest in 2D cold worked alloy. The IGSCC susceptibility displayed a strong correlation with the grain boundary strain concentration and the grain boundary microstructure.     

Characterization of corrosion of X65 pipeline steel under disbonded coating by scanning Kelvin probe

Corrosion of X65 pipeline steel under a disbonded coating was studied by scanning Kelvin probe measurements. Three types of specimen were designed and prepared to investigate the effects of immersion time, oxygen concentration and wet-dry cycle on Kelvin potential profile and thus corrosion behavior of the steel. Kelvin potential measured on “intact” area is shifted negatively with time, indicating an increasing water uptake under the “intact” coating. With the increase of the amount of solution, it is expected that the electrolyte concentration and electrochemical reaction rate change, resulting in a significant decrease of interfacial potential. Moreover, there is a more negative Kelvin potential on disbonded area than that on “intact” area. The negative shift of Kelvin potential is attributed to corrosion reaction of steel occurring under the disbonded coating. Due to the narrow geometry of coating disbondment, an oxygen concentration difference exists along the depth of the disbondment. The corrosion behavior under disbonded coating strongly depends on the oxygen partial pressure and local geometry. With continuous purging of nitrogen and removing of oxygen, Kelvin potential tends to be identical throughout the disbonded area. During wet-dry cycle, the thickness of solution layer trapped under disbonded coating decreases due to evaporation of water. With the decrease of solution layer thickness, the measured Kelvin potential decreases, indicating that the effect associated with the reduction of oxygen solubility in the concentrated solution during drying of electrolyte is favored over that related to the enhanced oxygen diffusion and reduction. There exists a critical thickness of solution layer, below which the oxygen solubility is sufficiently low to support the electrochemical corrosion reaction of steel.     

Characterization of inclusions of X80 pipeline steel and its correlation with hydrogen-induced cracking

In this work, the microstructures of an X80 pipeline steel were characterized, and their susceptibilities to hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) were investigated by hydrogen-charging, electrochemical hydrogen permeation and surface characterization. It is found that the microstructure of X80 pipeline steel consists of a polygonal ferrite and bainitic ferrite matrix, with martensite/austenite (M/A) constituents distributing along grain boundaries. The inclusions existing in the steel include those enriched with Si, Al oxide, Si–ferric carbide and Al–Mg–Ca–O mixture, respectively. The majority of inclusions are Si-enriched. Upon hydrogen-charging, cracks could be initiated in the steel in the absence of external stress. The cracks are primarily associated with the Si- and Al oxide-enriched inclusions. The diffusivity of hydrogen in X80 steel at room temperature is 2.0 × 10⁻¹¹ m²/s, and the estimated hydrogen trapping density in the steel is as high as 3.33 × 10²⁷ m⁻³.     

Effect of inclusions on initiation of stress corrosion cracks in X70 pipeline steel in an acidic soil environment

The effect of inclusions on the initiation of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) X70 pipeline steel was investigated in an acidic soil solution using slow strain rate test, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray techniques. The results demonstrated that stress corrosion cracks are not initiated in X70 steel when it is under anodic polarization. At cathodic polarization, hydrogen evolution is enhanced, and hydrogen is actively involved in SCC processes. Two types of inclusions exist in the steel and play different role in crack initiation. The inclusions enriching in Al are brittle and incoherent to the metal matrix. Microcracks and interstices are quite easily to be resulted in at the boundary between inclusions and metal. There is no crack initiating at inclusions containing mainly Si.     

Comparative studies on the corrosion properties of a Fe-Mn-Al-Si steel and an interstitial-free steel

Recent developments in a group of super ductile Fe-Mn-Al-Si steels with high-manganese content demands for more research in the corrosion behavior of such steels. The corrosion properties of the Fe-Mn-Al-Si steel was studied in acidic (0.1 M H₂SO₄), alkaline (0.1 M NaOH) and chloride-containing (3.5% NaCl) environments, using immersion and polarization experiments and compared with that of interstitial-free (IF) steel. In acidic solution, the Fe-Mn-Al-Si steel exhibited significantly lower corrosion resistance than that of IF steel. Though the Fe-Mn-Al-Si steel showed lower corrosion resistance as compared to IF steel in chloride solution, the difference was not as substantial as observed in acidic medium. However, in alkaline solution, the Fe-Mn-Al-Si steel showed no significant difference in the corrosion resistance in comparison with that of IF steel, and moreover exhibited substantially high corrosion resistance than in acidic and chloride solution. The post-corrosion characterization studies showed higher corrosion attack of the Fe-Mn-Al-Si steel exposed to acidic solution as compared to that in alkaline and chloride solutions, which is consistent with the corrosion measurement data.     

Micro-electrochemical characterization of corrosion of pre-cracked X70 pipeline steel in a concentrated carbonate/bicarbonate solution

The electrochemical corrosion behavior of a stressed, pre-cracked X70 pipeline steel was studied in a bicarbonate/carbonate solution by electrochemical and micro-electrochemical measurements, numerical calculation and surface analysis technique. The effects of stress and potential on passivity, corrosion and electrochemical behavior of the steel at crack-tip were mechanistically determined. It was found that the passive film formed at crack-tip was less stable than that formed in the region ahead of the crack. Moreover, the crack-tip is more susceptible to pitting corrosion than other region of the specimen. The applied stress enhances the anodic dissolution of the steel. In particular, the stress concentration at crack-tip further increases the local anodic dissolution rate. The enhancement of the anodic dissolution of the steel at crack-tip is also resulted from the formation of a galvanic couple, i.e., the crack-tip as an anode and the surrounding region as a cathode.     

Influence of the microstructure and laser shock processing (LSP) on the corrosion behaviour of the AA2050-T8 aluminium alloy

The corrosion behaviour of AA2050-T8 was studied after polishing and after laser shock processing (LSP) treatment using the electrochemical microcell technique and the SVET. After polishing, pitting at constituent particles and intergranular corrosion were observed. By contrast, no intergranular corrosion developed after LSP. Microcell measurements revealed that LSP increases the pitting potential. SVET measurements revealed that local anodic currents are systematically lower on LSP-treated surfaces than on polished ones. The current density on the LSP-treated surface remains constant around 50 μA cm⁻² up to 123 min after immersion, while on the polished surface it reaches 200 μA cm⁻².