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Pitting Corrosion Susceptibility of AISI 301 Stainless Steel in Chloride Environments
Abstract
The susceptibility of austenitic (AISI 301) stainless steel to pitting corrosion was evaluated in sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions - 0.1M, 0.2M, 0.3M, 0.5M and 0.7M and 1.0M. Tensile tests and microscopic examinations were performed on samples prepared from the steel after exposure in the various environments. It was revealed that AISI 301 steel suffers from pitting corrosion in all the investigated solutions. The mechanism of pitting corrosion of the samples involved pit initiation and growth, which is aggravated by chloride ion. This ultimately led to reduction in tensile properties with increased concentration as a function of time.