Surface Composition of a Type 316 Stainless Steel Related to Initiation of Crevice Corrosion

Abstract
On the basis of different surface treatments of a Type 316 stainless steel, results of protective film composition as obtained by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) are related to resistance to initiation of crevice corrosion. The nickel content of the protective film was similar after all treatments, whereas the chromium surface content was found to differ between different surface treatments. A direct relationship between chromium surface enrichment and the resistance against crevice corrosion initiation was found which was independent of the presence of nonmetallic inclusions. The results suggest that initiation of crevice corrosion and initiation of pitting corrosion are different in nature.