Electrochemistry study on the environmental factors of pitting corrosion of type 304 stainless steel

The pitting breaking potential (E_b) and repassivation potential (E_p) of 304 stainless steel were studied by electrochemistry method. These potentials were highly affected by the concentration of chloride solution, pH and buffer capacity, which defined as environmental factors. The buffer capacity and the concentration of non-aggressive anions in the solutions show some effects on the pitting initiation and repassivation of stainless steel. The pitting E_b and E_p show a strong dependence on a parameter J as general environmental factor, which is defined as the product of concentration of aggressive anions and buffer capacity. Electrochemistry study on the environmental factors on pitting corrosion of 304 stainless steel is a new method to investigate the anti-corrosion ability of stainless steel.