Abstract
A commercial 304 stainless steel Fe-18.5Cr-9.6Ni was passivated in 0.1 M H 2SO 4 solution at +750 mV(SHE) for 1 h at room temperature. The alloying effect of nickel was discussed in comparison with Fe-17Cr and Fe-15Cr-4Mo steels. The selectivity factor S was defined and used to characterize the dissolution behaviour of individual components. Solution analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma Source Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) gave conclusive evidence for the selective dissolution of nickel and the depletion of chromium in the passivating solution. Subsequent surface analysis of the passive film by XPS revealed the absence of nickel oxide in the passive film, which was well accounted for by the selective dissolution of nickel in solution. The enrichment of chromium in passive film was characterized by the enrichment factor. The thickness of the passive film calculated from ICP-MS result was 0.82 nm. in harmony with the literature value by ellipsometry.
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