Corrosion behavior of high purity Fe-Cr-Ni alloys in trans-passive condition

The corrosion behavior of high-purity (99.99%) Fe-Cr-Ni alloys was investigated in 13 N nitric acid with/without Ce4+ ions to clarify the effect of impurities on the trans-passive corrosion of stainless steel. The following results were obtained. (1) Almost no intergranular corrosion was observed in the high-purity alloys, although the corrosion rate of the matrix region was nearly the same as that of a commercial stainless steel with the same Cr and Ni content. (2) Due to the improved intergranular corrosion resistance, the effect of the purification became significant in the corrosion condition with the grain-separation being predominant. (3) The high-purity alloys showed higher susceptivility to intergranular corrosion with aging treatment between 873 K and 1073 K. Although the sulfuric acid/copper sulfate test suggested the formation of Cr-depleted zones, a grain boundary micro-analysis using a FETEM with an EDX did not reveal any change in Cr content or impurity segregain along the grain boundaries. The mechanism of corrosion enhancement resulting from the aging treatment remains nuclear. (author)