Laser Obtained Superhydrophobic State for Stainless Steel Corrosion Protection, a Review

Abstract

Stainless steel has become an integral part of modern engineering materials and daily life due to its mechanical efficiency, strength, recyclability, high resistance to oxidation and corrosive attack, which make it the ideal material for many kinds of applications. At the same time, steel suffers from certain types of corrosion, such as intergranular corrosion, or contact corrosion that develops when stainless steel comes into contact with carbon steel or another metal with a different electrochemical potential. Finally, pitting corrosion is a serious problem often occurring when stainless steel parts work in sea water. This paper provides a brief overview of methods for protecting stainless steel from corrosion using a new approach based on superhydrophobization of the surface of stainless steel using laser processing followed by the deposition of a layer of a substance with a low surface energy. The review discusses the mechanisms of corrosion protection by such coatings and the properties of superhydrophobic coatings presented in the literature. Superhydrophobic protective coatings on stainless steel have been shown to significantly reduce corrosion, with some demonstrating a decrease in corrosion current of up to 156 times. However, a more comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms contributing to this effect, as well as a comparison with anti-corrosion coatings on other metals, suggests that the combination of these mechanisms has the potential to create even more durable and effective surfaces for corrosion protection of stainless steel.