The passive and transpassive behaviour of Alloy 31, a highly-alloyed austenitic stainless steel (UNS N08031), has been investigated in a LiBr heavy brine solution (400 g/l) at 25º C using potentiostatic polarisation combined with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky analysis. The passive film formed on Alloy 31 has been found to be p-type and/or n-type in electronic character, depending on the film formation potential. The thickness of the film formed at potentials within the passive region increases linearly with applied potential. The film formed at transpassive potentials is thinner and more conductive than the film formed within the passive region. These observations are consistent with the predictions of the Point Defect Model for passive and transpassive films on metals and alloys.
The influence of alloying elements on the electrochemical and semiconducting properties of thin passive films formed on several steels (carbon steel, ferritic and austenitic stainless steels) has been studied in a highly concentrated lithium bromide (LiBr) solution at 25º C, by means of potentiodynamic tests and Mott-Schottky analysis.The addition of Cr to carbon steel promoted the formation of a p-type semiconducting region in the passive film. A high Ni content modified the electronic behaviour of highly alloyed austenitic stainless steels. Mo did not modify the electronic structure of the passive films, but reduced the concentration of defects.
The cavitation corrosion behaviour of commercially pure Grade 2 titanium in a 992 g/l LiBr solution has been investigated at 25º C using an ultrasound device. Cavitation was found to have more influence on the anodic branch than on the cathodic branch, shifting the corrosion potential, Ecorr, and the OCP value towards more negative potentials, and increasing the corrosion current density, icorr, by six times. The repassivation kinetics of Grade 2 titanium have also been studied in the 992 g/l LiBr solution, at 25º C and various applied potentials, using cavitation to damage the electrode surface. The repassivation kinetics have been analysed in terms of the current density flowing from the area damaged by cavitation, and the results were described by the equation i(t) = A•t-n. At potentials within the passive region, the passive film grew according to the high-field ion conduction model in which log i(t) is linearly proportional to 1/q(t). The damage generated during the potentiostatic tests has been quantified by means of Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy.
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