Effect of Temperature and Chloride Ion Concentration on Corrosion of Passive Films on Nano/Ultrafine Grained Stainless Steels

The effects of solution temperature, concentration of chloride ions, and grain refinement on the corrosion resistance of the passive film formed on 304 stainless steels in borate buffer solution were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky measurements. The results showed that the passive films formed on the surface of 304 stainless steels possessed n- and p-type semiconductor characteristics. With the increase of solution temperature, the corrosion resistance of the passive film of coarse and nano/ultrafine grained stainless steels decreased. However, the corrosion resistance of the passive film in nano/ultrafine grained stainless steel was higher than that in the coarse grained one. Moreover, in cyclic potentiodynamic polarization tests, chloride ions changed semiconductor characteristics of the passive film formed on the surface of stainless steel.