Effect of Corrosion on the Isoelectric Point of Stainless Steel

Abstract
The recently developed adhesion method for determining the isoelectric points (IEP) of conductive metal surfaces was applied in studying the corrosion processes of stainless steel (SS). This technique allowed for characterization of the charge on the metal oxide surface as a function of pH. The magnitude of IEP was found to correlate with the structure of the oxide layer. The exposure of SS to air at 1,000°C reduced the original pHIEP from 4.15 to 2.8 as a result of the presence of magnetite. Treatment at lower temperatures yielded a significant portion of hematite in the oxide layer and pHIEP shifted to 3.3. The corrosion of SS in aqueous sodium chloride (NaCl) solution at room temperature, as examined by the proposed electrokinetic method, resulted in the formation of magnetite in the early stage of the process, while hematite and/or lepidocrocite was detected as a final product.

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