Electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel in alkaline hydrogen peroxide bleaching solutions

The corrosion and electrochemical behavior of 316L stainless steel in alkaline hydrogen peroxide bleaching environments were studied by a combination of experiments involving weight loss measurements, potentiodynamic current-potential curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. The studies show that the aggressiveness of the bleaching baths increase with increasing pH and concentration of H2O2, and that corrosion is the consequence of the reaction of the perhydroxyl ion OOH- with the passive layer. Surface Auger spectral analysis shows that the film formed is very thin.