Study of fretting-initiated crevice corrosion and crevice corrosion affected fretting of stainless steel

Abstract

Fretting crevice corrosion of total hip joints have been associated with joint replacement failure. However, researchers have not considered the interaction between fretting corrosion and crevice corrosion. In this study, an artificial crevice system that could perform fretting in the center of the crevice was designed, and fretting-initiated crevice corrosion (FICC) under different crevice widths, along with the effect of crevice corrosion on fretting corrosion, were studied. The results showed that FICC was more obvious under a smaller crevice, and pitting corrosion initiated at the shear band, resulting in crevice corrosion. Furthermore, corrosion pre-treatment significantly increased the fretting corrosion current.