Rust Formation Mechanism on Low Alloy Steels after Exposure Test in High Cl- and High SOx Environmen.

Exposure tests were performed on low alloy steels in high Cl- and high SOx environment, and the structure of the rust were analyzed by TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) and Raman Spectroscopy. In the exposure test site, the concentrations of Cl- and SOx were found to be high, which caused the corrosion of the steels. The conventional weathering steel (SMA: 0.6% Cr-0.4% Cu-Fe) showed higher corrosion resistance as compared to the carbon steel (SM), and Ni bearing steel exhibited the highest one. Raman spectroscopy showed that the inner rust of Ni bearing steel was mainly composed of α-FeOOH and spinel oxides. On the other hand, SMA contained ß- and γ-FeOOH in inner rust, which increased the corrosion. TEM showed that nano-scale complex iron oxides containing Ni or Cr were formed in the rust on the low alloy steels, which suppressed the corrosion of steels in high Cl- and high SOx environment.

A Facile Method to Modify the Characteristics and Corrosion Behavior of 304 Stainless Steel by Surface Nanostructuring toward Biomedical Applications.

The study addresses how surface nanostructuring of AISI 304 stainless steel (SS) by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) influences its characteristic properties and corrosion behavior in Ringer's solution. SMAT of 304 SS induced plastic deformation, enabled surface nanocrystallization, refined the grain size, transformed the austenite phase to strain induced α'-martensite phase, increased the surface roughness, induced defects/dislocations, imparted compressive residual stresses at the surface, decreased the contact angle, and increased surface energy. The change in properties of 304 SS following treatment using 5 and 8 mm ⌀ balls for 15, 30, 45, and 60 min has caused a deleterious influence on its corrosion resistance in Ringer's solution, while an improvement in corrosion behavior is observed for those treated using 2 mm ⌀ balls. The increase in surface roughness, transformation of the austenite to α'-martensite phase, a higher extent of deformation, and the presence of larger number of defects/dislocations are main factors responsible for the lower corrosion resistance observed for 304 SS treated using 5 and 8 mm ⌀ balls in Ringer's solution. In spite of having these attributes with a relatively lower extent, 304 SS treated using 2 mm ⌀ balls offered a better corrosion resistance and exhibits a better passivity. For those treated using 2 mm ⌀ balls, the ability of the nanocrystalline surface to promote passivation outweighs the deleterious influences caused by the limited amount of deformation and defects/dislocations. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommend that SMAT of 304 SS using 2 mm ⌀ balls for 15-30 min is the optimum condition to achieve the suitable surface profile, surface characteristics with better corrosion resistance.

Corrosion Prevention of Aluminum Nanoparticles by a Polyurethane Coating.

In order to prevent corrosion, aluminum nanoparticles were coated with a polyurethane polymer. The coverage of the polyurethane polymer was controlled from 0 to 100%, which changed the corrosion rate of the nanoparticles quantitatively. The surface of the polymer coating was investigated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and the corrosion resistance of the nanoparticles was estimated by a wet/dry corrosion test on a Pt plate with a NaCl solution. From a TEM with EDAX analysis, the 10 mass% polymer coated Al particles in the synthesis were almost 100% covered on the surface by a polymer film of 10 nm thick. On the other hand, the 3 mass% polymer coated Al was almost 40% covered by a film. In the AFM, the potential around the Al particles had a relatively low value with the polymer coating, which indicated that the conductivity of the Al was isolated from the Pt plate by the polymer. Both the corrosion and H2 evolution reaction rates were quantitatively reduced by the mass% of polymer coating. In the case of the 10 mass% coated sample, there was no corrosion of Al nanoparticles. This fact suggested that the electrochemical reaction was suppressed by the polymer coating. Moreover, the reaction rate of Al nanoparticles was suppressed in proportion to the coverage percentage of the coating. Thus, to conclude, it was found that the corrosion rate of Al nanoparticles could be quantitatively suppressed by the coverage percentage of the polymer coating.

Nanocomposite coatings on biomedical grade stainless steel for improved corrosion resistance and biocompatibility.

The 316 L stainless steel is one of the most commonly available commercial implant materials with a few limitations in its ease of biocompatibility and long-standing performance. Hence, porous TiO(2)/ZrO(2) nanocomposite coated over 316 L stainless steels was studied for their enhanced performance in terms of its biocompatibility and corrosion resistance, following a sol-gel process via dip-coating technique. The surface composition and porosity texture was studied to be uniform on the substrate. Biocompatibility studies on the TiO(2)/ZrO(2) nanocomposite coatings were investigated by placing the coated substrate in a simulated body fluid (SBF). The immersion procedure resulted in the complete coverage of the TiO(2)/ZrO(2) nanocomposite (coated on the surface of 316 L stainless steel) with the growth of a one-dimensional (1D) rod-like carbonate-containing apatite. The TiO(2)/ZrO(2) nanocomposite coated specimens showed a higher corrosion resistance in the SBF solution with an enhanced biocompatibility, surpassing the performance of the pure oxide coatings. The cell viability of TiO(2)/ZrO(2) nanocomposite coated implant surface was examined under human dermal fibroblasts culture, and it was observed that the composite coating enhances the proliferation through effective cellular attachment compared to pristine 316 L SS surface.

Corrosion resistance of Si-Al-bearing ultrafine-grained weathering steel.

In the Ultra-steel project at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), which run from 1996 to 2005, high-Si-Al-content ultrafine-grained (UFG) weathering steel was developed by grain refinement and weathering guidance. It was found that this steel has excellent strength, toughness and corrosion resistance. Samples were prepared by multi pass warm rolling at temperatures between 773 and 873 K. The grain size of steel rolled at 873 K was about 1 µ m, and the tensile strength (TS) and elongation (EL) had excellent values of 800 MPa and 20%, respectively. In general, steels with high Si and Al contents exhibit inferior toughness to carbon steel (SM); however, the toughness of the developed sample was markedly improved by grain refinement. Cyclic corrosion tests in the presence of chloride ions confirmed that the developed steel exhibited excellent corrosion resistance, superior to that of SM. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses showed that Si and Al mainly exist in the inner rust layer. Si and Al were identified as existing in the Si2 + and Al3 + states in the nanoscale complex oxides constituting the inner rust layer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) measurement showed that the corrosion reaction resistance (Rt) of the developed steel was much greater than that of SM. In the developed steel, the nanoscale complex oxides were formed in the inner rust layer, which increased Rt, and resulted in the excellent corrosion resistance.