Tribocorrosion Behavior of 304 Stainless Steel in 0.5 mol/L Sulfuric Acid

Abstract

The tribocorrosion behavior of 304 stainless steel was studied through comparing the damage behavior of 304 stainless steel in dilute sulfuric acid to that in distilled water by a reciprocating tribotester. The re-passivation behavior, the surface and sectional morphological features, as well as the change of microhardness of samples were studied, and the tribocorrosion mechanism was also discussed. The experimental results reveal that the damage of stainless steel in dilute sulfuric acid was caused by the steel’s mechanical removal and electrochemical dissolution. The wear mechanism of stainless steel is abrasive wear, which mainly consists of micro-cutting and peeling. The synergetic action between corrosion and wear is notable. The corrosive environment leads to the embrittlement of the surface layer, and the wear destroys the passivation film and causes galvanic corrosion.