Effects of prior cold work on corrosion and corrosive wear of copper in HNO3 and NaCl solutions

Effects of prior cold work on corrosion and corrosive wear behavior of copper in 0.1 M HNO3 and 3.5% NaCl solutions, respectively, were investigated using electrochemical tests, electron work function measurements, and sliding corrosive wear tests with and without cathodic protection. Optical microscope and SEM were employed to examine the microstructure and worn surfaces. It was shown that, in general, the prior cold work raised the corrosion rate, but the effect differed in different corrosive media. In both the solutions, pure mechanical wear decreased with an increase in cold work. The prior cold work had a significant influence on the corrosive wear of copper, depending on the corrosive solution and the applied load. In the 0.1 M HNO3 solution, the ratio of the wear loss caused by corrosion–wear synergism to the total wear loss increased with the cold work and became saturated when the cold work reached a certain level. In the 3.5% NaCl solution, however, this ratio decreased initially and then became relatively stable with respect to the cold work. It was observed that wear of copper in the 3.5% NaCl solution was larger than that in 0.1 M HNO3 solution, although copper showed lower corrosion rate in the former solution. The experimental observations and the possible mechanisms involved are discussed.