Reduced corrosion of pulsed 316LVM stainless steel electrodes by short time constant discharge circuits

The electrochemical charge injection characteristics and corrosion response of single strand 316 LVM stainless steel electrodes were evaluated in vitro using capacitor and coil coupled monophasic charge injection protocols with varying discharge time constants. Positive-first charge injection was used at 44 µC/cm², stimulating wave forms with short time constants exhibited a less positive potential transients and less corrosion. Multistranded 316LVM electrodes were evaluated with positive and negative-first charge injection with short time constant discharges for more than 300 hours. For both protocols, the potential transients remained fairly constant over the test period and no corrosion was apparent from optical and electron microscopy.