Corrosion behavior of powder metallurgical stainless steels in urban and marine environments

Abstract

This work studies the development of corrosive attack on sintered components manufactured from AISI 316L and AISI 304L powders. The stainless steels were sintered in vacuum and in nitrogen-base atmosphere at 1,120 and 1,250°C, and their corrosion resistance was then analyzed by electrochemical techniques and by atmospheric corrosion testing (two years) at urban and marine test sites. Images are shown of the morphology of the attack on the surface of the stainless steels and the development of this attack in the interior of the material.