Corrosion Resistance of Vanadis 6 Steel after Conventional Heat Treatment and Sub-Zero Treatment in Cold Nitrogen Gas Followed by Tempering

Abstract

The paper presents the results of study of corrosion resistance of Vanadis 6 steel after conventional heat treatment and sub-zero treatment at-140 °C for 17 h. It was found that sub-zero treatment leads generally to decrease in corrosion current, which is in turn reflected in lower corrosion rate of the material subjected to this kind of treatment. The corrosion potential of sub-zero treated specimens was more anodic, suggesting their more noble behavior in 3.5 % NaCl water solution. This behavior was ascribed to the presence of a huge number of small globular carbides in SZT specimens, which seemed to stabilize the protective oxide films on the surfaces. Tempering reduces the corrosion resistance of the steel since this treatment produces fine precipitates of alloyed carbides that deplete the matrix by chromium and thereby destabilizes the protective films on the steel surface.