Experimental determination of E‐pH diagrams for 316L stainless steel in air‐saturated aqueous solutions containing 0‐5,000 ppm of chloride using a potentiodynamic method
Authors: Lothongkum G. , Vongbandit P. , Nongluck P. 
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Aims to investigate the effect of chlorine on corrosion behaviours of stainless steels.

Design/methodology/approach

Very complicated thermodynamic calculations are needed to establish the E‐pH diagrams of commercial alloys, because they comprise of many elements. To avoid these complex calculations and facilitate corrosion prevention of AISI 316L stainless steel, the potentiodynamic method was used to construct the E‐pH diagram. The polarization curves were carefully experimented at the scan rate of 0.1 mV/s. The experimental conditions were aqueous solutions saturated with air (oxygen concentration 7.8‐8.5 ppm) containing chloride 0, 50, 500 and 5,000 ppm, pH 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, and at 25°C. The transpassive or pitting potential, the protection potential, the primary passive potential and the corrosion potential were determined from the polarization curves and plotted with respect to the pH of the solution. The ions in solution were investigated by qualitative chemical analysis and stated in the E‐pH diagrams.

Findings

The constructed E‐pH diagrams showed clearly the effect of chloride concentration in the tested conditions on the transpassive or pitting potential, the protection potential of AISI 316L stainless steels. The ion states after pitting corrosion were different at low and high pH. This may be useful information for further investigation of pitting corrosion mechanisms.

Research limitations/implications

The E‐pH diagram was originally based on thermodynamic equilibrium. The potentiodynamic method was kinetically controlled and not in equilibrium. However, the experiments were kept at near stationary state as much as possible. The investigated E‐pH diagrams were limited for the solutions saturated with air containing chloride 0, 50, 500 and 5,000 ppm and at 25°C. The effects of temperature and other ions such as Fe3+, Mg2+, Ca2+, etc. on the transpassive or pitting potential, the protection potential, the primary passive potential and the corrosion potential should be further investigated, because natural water may contain those ions and is at high temperatures which could affect on the corrosion of AISI 316L stainless steels.

Practical implications

The investigated E‐pH diagrams may be applicable to avoid corrosion of AISI 316L stainless steels in similar conditions. The useful application may be for fields where natural water is not able to be treated, as is carried out in industry.

Originality/value

There have been several investigations on the effect of chloride on the corrosion behaviours of AISI 316L stainless steels. However, those investigations were carried out in different conditions. Very few experimental E‐pH diagrams of AISI 304L have been found, but not for AISI 316L stainless steels. The investigated diagrams showed also the ion states in pitting corrosion region which were influenced by pH. This may indicate the different pitting corrosion mechanism at different pH.