Effect of residual stress and microstructure on corrosion resistance of carburised 18CrNiMo7-6 steel

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate, the effects of residual stress and microstructure on the corrosion behaviour of carburised 18CrNiMo7-6 steel in a 3.5% NaCl aqueous solution. Design/methodology/approach The electrochemical tests were conducted using an electrochemical workstation with a three-electrode system in a 3.5% NaCl aqueous solution, the residual stress of each working face was measured by a high-speed residual stress analyser, and microstructure of different carburised layers were observed scanning electron microscopy. Finally, the effect of carbon content, microstructure and residual stress on the corrosion behaviour of the steel was discussed. Findings The results showed that the residual compressive stress in the carburised layer initially increased and subsequently decreased with increasing depth of the carburised layer, reaching stability in the matrix layer. The electrochemical tests before and after stress reduction showed that the electrochemical impedance and the electrochemical potential increased with the reduction of residual compressive stress. Originality/value The residual compressive stress in the carburised layer initially increases and subsequently decreases with increasing carburised layer depth. The electrochemical impedance and the electrochemical potential increased with the reduction of residual compressive stress. The general relationship between electrochemical potential and residual stress was established.