Electrochemical corrosion characteristics of type 316L stainless steel in hot concentrated seawater

The corrosion behaviour of 316L stainless steel was studied in the concentrated artificial seawater at 72 degrees C, i.e., the simulated low temperature-multi effect distillation environments, by using electrochemical measurement techniques. The corrosion state changes from spontaneous passivation to pitting after about 1150 h of immersion. Pitting corrosion is under mixed control of charge transfer and diffusion processes in the long-term immersion. The salt deposits retard the diffusion of oxygen to the metal surface. The pit depth only reaches about 38 mu m after one year of immersion due to the alloying effect of Mo, low dissolved oxygen levels and weak occlusion states. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.