The effect of hydrogen on pitting corrosion of superaustenitic and austenitic-ferritic stainless steels

Hydrogen entering into steel affects its electrochemical properties and may enhance the susceptibility to environmental degradation. The present work has been aimed at further clarifying the effect of hydrogenation on the corrosion behaviour and passivity of highly-alloyed stainless steels. The results were discussed by taking into account hydrogen charged samples and without hydrogen. The corrosion resistance to pitting was qualified with the cyclic polarization curves. The conclusion is that hydrogen may deteriorated the passive film stability and corrosion resistance to pitting of highly-alloyed stainless steel. Furthermore, the presence of hydrogen in passive films increases corrosion current density, decreasing the potential of the film breakdown and repassivation potential. It was also found that the degree of susceptibility to hydrogen-enhanced pitting corrosion was dependent on the type of steel.