Effects of Zn(II) on hydrogen peroxide-induced corrosion of stainless steel

Abstract

Zinc injection has been widely applied in nuclear industry for corrosion mitigation of nuclear materials. The corrosion resistance mechanism of zinc in the presence of the radiolytic oxidizing species is complex and has not been completely understood. Without such information it is not possible to improve the protocol. In the present study, zinc effects on corrosion of 304 SS exposed to H2O2 at 200-1000 ppb for 7 and 70 hrs were investigated at room temperature using a custom-made flow setup. XRF and SEM-EDX were used to examine the chemical composition and surface morphology of the specimens. The results indicated that pitting was the dominant form of corrosion found under the experimental conditions. Zinc ions tend to help mitigate corrosion of the material via playing a significant role in oxide formation on the steel surface.