Effect of heat treatment on the corrosion resistance of S43035 ferritic stainless steel in dilute sulphate-chloride environment

Abstract

Abstract The corrosion resistance of heat treated S43035 ferritic stainless (500°C and 1000°C) was studied in 3.5M H2SO4 solution at 0% to 6% NaCl concentration and compared with the results obtained for the non-treated steel by potentiodynamic polarization and open circuit potential measurement. Polarization data revealed that heat treatment improved the general corrosion resistance of the steel by percentage margins ranging from 10.36% to 83.44% depending on chloride concentration. Heat treated (500°C) S43035 steel displayed the lowest corrosion rate value followed by the heat treated steel at 1000°C. Open circuit potential measurement plot indicates that heat treatment increases the vulnerability of S43035 steel to corrosion.