This study aims to understand the correlation between the manufacturing process-induced plastic deformation, microstructure, and corrosion behavior of a 13Cr martensitic stainless steel tubing material (UNS S42000). Comparisons were made between the microstructure, crystallographic orientation, and corrosion performance of a texture-free, heat-treated sample and uniaxially tensioned samples to the elongations of 5% and 22%. Cyclic potentiodynamic polarization tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were performed on all samples in aerated 3.5 wt% NaCl electrolyte at room temperature. Overall, the corrosion resistance of the samples was found to decrease with increasing deformation level. A more stable and higher corrosion potential and pitting potential values with a better stability of the passive film were derived for the nondeformed sample, whereas the 5% and 22% elongated samples exhibited lower corrosion and pitting potential values and were characterized by having a less stable passive layer. All samples consistently revealed micropit formation on the lath boundaries where a high concentration of chromium carbide precipitates was detected. Increasing the level of plastic strain in 13Cr stainless steel was found to enlarge the size of sensitized regions along the matrix/coarse chromium carbide precipitates interface, leading to more regions susceptible to initiation and propagation of pitting.
Structural modifications and corrosion behavior of martensitic stainless steel nitrided by plasma immersion ion implantation
