Effects of Strain Rate of Prior Deformation on Corrosion and Corrosive Wear of AISI 1045 Steel in a 3.5 Pct NaCl Solution

Abstract

Wear of materials in corrosive environments has received considerable interest in recent years. It has been demonstrated that the wear-corrosion synergy can be markedly affected by the strain rate. In this study, effects of strain rate of prior deformation on corrosion and corrosive wear of AISI 1045 steel in a 3.5 pct NaCl solution were investigated using an electrochemical test, scanning Kelvin probing, and corrosive sliding wear tests, respectively. Six strain rates of prior deformation, from 7.5 × 10−4 s−1 to 2 s−1, were employed for this study. In order to understand the mechanism responsible for the effects of the strain rate on corrosion and corrosive wear, worn surfaces, subsurface microstructure, microcracks, and residual strain were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) X-ray line profile analysis. Microhardness tests were also carried out to investigate corresponding changes in mechanical properties of surface layers with respect to the strain rate. Based on the effects of prior strain at different rates on surface microstructure and resultant changes in electrochemical and mechanical properties, the corresponding wear behavior of the steel in the 3.5 pct NaCl solution is discussed.