Evaluation of the corrosion resistance of spark plasma sintered stainless steel 316L matrix composites with zirconium diboride in sulfuric acid

The influence of the zirconium diboride content and the method of initial material preparation on the corrosion properties of the composite on the 316L stainless steel matrix were determined. The powders were prepared in a Turbula mixer and a planetary mill. The corrosion properties were estimated on the basis of electrochemical tests, including open-circuit potential measurement, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The presence of the ceramic phase changes the corrosion resistance of the tested materials due to porosity, which affects the corrosion mechanism. The standard potentiodynamic tests do not reveal poor corrosion resistance of porous materials, and only 24 h tests reveal accurate corrosion resistance of composite materials. Composites cannot go into a stable passive state because of the penetration of electrolytes into the pores and tend to oxidize systematically. 24-h corrosion tests indicate that samples prepared in a planetary mill show better corrosion resistance than those prepared in a Turbula mixer.