Microscopic corrosion studies of duplex stainless steels

• Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning electrochemical microscopy have been used for in situ monitoring of localized corrosion processes of different Duplex stainless steels (DSS) in acidic chloride solutions. The techniques allow imaging of local dissolution events with micrometer resolution, as opposed to conventional electrochemical techniques, which only give an overall view of the corrosion behavior. In addition, combined scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy and magnetic force microscopy were used for mapping the Volta potential variation over the surface of DSSs. A significant difference in Volta potential between the austenite and ferrite phases suggests galvanic interaction between the phases. A compositional gradient appears within 2 micrometers across the phase boundary, as seen with scanning Auger microscopy (SAM). In all, the studies suggest that higher alloyed DSS exhibit a more homogeneous dissolution behavior than lower alloyed DSS, due to higher and more similar corrosion resistance of the two phases, and enhanced resistance of the ferrite/austenite phase boundary regions.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Metallurgi och metalliska material (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Metallurgy and Metallic Materials (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Corrosion mechanism

Duplex stainless steel

Local electrochemical technique

Micrometer resolution

Surface analysis

Austenite

Corrosion resistance

Dissolution

Ferrite

Stainless steel

Compositional gradient

Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy

Galvanic interaction

Magnetic force microscopy

Phase boundaries

Scanning Auger microscopy

Scanning electrochemical microscopy

Scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy

Volta potential variation

Steel corrosion

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)