Do Wettability Measurements Define Corrosion Inhibition of Etched Surfaces? A Study on Acid‐Etched 316L Stainless Steel

Abstract

Special wetting surfaces have attracted attention owing to their potential applications in the automotive, engineering, environmental, and biomedical industries. Specifically, nature‐inspired superhydrophobic surfaces are more effective in blocking moisture, thus limiting corrosion. Hence, surface wettability analysis remains the primary method for demonstrating the corrosion mitigation characteristics of rough‐engineered surfaces. Herein, the influence of wettability measurements on the corrosion inhibition of 316L stainless steel surfaces etched in HCl: HNO3 acid is systematically investigated. Interestingly, etched hydrophobic surfaces with a contact angle of ≈125° significantly improve the corrosion resistance by 50%, resulting in suppressed corrosion rates. Furthermore, the surface chemical states of the etched 316L steel are analyzed and discussed in detail.