Macro and Micro Electrochemical Techniques to Study Influence of Sigma Phase Formation in a Duplex Stainless Steel

Abstract

In the present study macro electrochemical (anodic polarization) and micro electrochemical (scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) area scan measurements at passive potential) techniques have been used to study the influence of sigma phase and/or the resultant chromium depletion regions on localized corrosion behavior of aged type 2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) in neutral chloride ion solution. DSS type 2205 was subjected to aging at 750 °C for 30 min, 10 h and 48 h. The formation and growth of the sigma phase with heat treatments was assessed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction. The influence of formation of sub-microscopic and bulky sigma phase on intergranular corrosion (IGC) and pitting corrosion was investigated by various electrochemical techniques including electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR), potentiodynamic polarization and SECM. Apart from EPR tests, ASTM A 262 Practice B test was carried out to evaluate the presence of chromium depletion regions with heat treatments. The results showed that with increasing aging duration, the degree of sensitization and IGC rates initially increased and then decreased with heat treatment. The pitting potentials decreased continuously with increase in aging duration up to 10 h as assessed by potentiodynamic polarization tests. The SECM area scan measurements showed more metastable pitting corrosion events for 30 min and 10 h aged specimens compared to the 48 h aged specimen at passive potential in 0.1M neutral chloride ion solution.