The effects of crystal
orientation and prior etching on the polarization
and repassivation behavior of Ni–Cr and Ni–Cr–Mo
alloys have been investigated in acidic chloride environment using
dc potentiostatic and ac single-frequency electrochemical impedance
spectroscopy. Tests were conducted within the passive region at potentials
where local oxide breakdown was possible. Surface morphologies of
grains across a wide range of orientations were measured before and
after passivation using atomic force microscopy. Oxide growth was
monitored on isolated low- and high-index crystallographic planes
as a function of repassivation time, enabling the independent measurement
of the oxidation and total anodic current densities. Grains exhibited
the tendency to either passivate with significant or minimal oxidation
or instead resist active passivation and repassivation. The oxidation
performance was a function of the crystallographic orientation of
the exposed grain surface. The oxides grown on various-orientated
surfaces differed in their film growth kinetics, morphology, and steady
state thicknesses, even given similar total anodic current densities
due to dissimilar oxidation efficiencies. For Ni-11 wt % Cr, only
orientations close to (1 0 1) were able to form stable passive films,
aided by nanofaceted surfaces with a matchstick-type morphology. On
the other hand, all orientations of the Ni-11 wt % Cr-6 wt % Mo alloys
formed electrochemically stable oxides films owing to the beneficial
influence of Mo on repassivation. Passivation, breakdown behavior,
and oxide properties vary with crystal orientation, and this work
provides insight into the effects of crystallographic orientation
and oxide film morphology on the passivation mechanism of Ni–Cr
and Ni–Cr–Mo alloys.