Metastable Pitting of Carbon Steel under Potentiostatic Control

Abstract

The metastable pitting of A516‐70 carbon steel was studied under potentiostatic control in solutions containing chloride ions. It was shown that there were different current fluctuation patterns and spectral slopes, that is, roll‐off slopes, in passivity, general corrosion, and metastable pitting. Pits were often covered by a deposit which played an important role in the current fluctuation, with a quick current rise followed by a slow drop. There was a transitional potential (about 0 mV vs. Ag/AgCl electrode) below which the metastable pitting initiation rate increased with the potential, because more sites would be activated. Above the transitional potential, the decay of the pitting occurrence rate with increased potential was due to the elimination of available pit sites. When the applied potential was between −50 and 100 mV, pit growth kinetics was controlled by the potential drop through the deposit over the pit mouth. The potential dependence of repassivation time was mainly due to the effect of applied potential on the deposit over the pit mouth. There seemed to be good agreement between the calculated pit size and the measured values by optical microphotography. The assumption of hemispherical pit geometry was reasonable in calculating the pit radii. © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.