Ran Dy Ooi | 8563481

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF PITTING CORROSION OF STAINLESS

STEEL SERIES 316 IN 0.1M SODIUM CHLORIDE WITH POLISHED AND
ROUGH SURFACE
Ran Dy Ooi
Abstract Corrosion could badly effects on materials.
Pitting is one of the localized corrosion that will occur on
material surface. Usually, pitting corrosion make a small
holes on the surface material. In this study, a piece of
stainless steel series 304 have been tested in two different
solutions; one is in the sodium chloride with neutral pH
while the other solution is in the sodium chloride with pH 2
solution. The experimental study is performed by scanning
the potential using a sweep generator connected to a
potentiostat. It is found at the end of the study that stainless
steel series 304 in pH2 have lower pitting potential
compared with in neutral solution. Thus, the corrosion rate
is higher.

in pH 2. In the end, the polarization curve is

being plotted after the data is being logged
using data-logger device.

KeywordsCorrosion, pitting, polarization curve, stainless

steel series 304, pH, neutral

INTRODUCTION

Figure 1: Experimental Setup

Corrosion or simply known by people as rust

is a gradually destructive situation usually on
metal. This is because the tendency of metal
reacts with the environment mostly with
atmospheric gases through chemical reaction. In
the most common use of term, this means
chemical reaction whereby oxidation of metal
with oxidant.
The pitting corrosion is one of the localized
corrosion that leads to the formation of small
holes in the metal. The driving power for pitting
corrosion is the depassivation of a small area,
which becomes anodic while an unknown but
potentially vast area becomes cathodic, leading
to localized corrosion. The corrosion penetrates
the mass of the metal, with limited diffusion of
ions.
In this respect, the present work is aimed to
study the corrosion behaviour of the stainless
steel series 304 in sodium chloride solutions,
mainly its pitting corrosion and the morphology
of pits. The effect of the pH of the solutions on
the localised corrosion of the stainless steel 304
series will be considered.
METHODOLOGY

The workflow of study is divided into two

phases. Initially, the condition of electrolyte is
in neutral. Next, the condition of electrolyte is

Figure 2: Experimental Setup. Computer shows the

data logger software interface.
DATA
Graph 1: Graph Applied Potential versus Logarithm
of Current Density for Stainless Steel Series 304 in
Sodium Chloride Neutral Solution.

Ran Dy Ooi | 8563481

Graph 2: Graph Applied Potential versus Logarithm

of Current Density for Stainless Steel Series 304 in
Sodium Chloride pH 2 Solution.

Graph 3: Combine Graph of Applied Potential versus

Logarithm of Current Density for Stainless Steel
Series 304 in Sodium Chloride Neutral Solution and
pH 2 Solution.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Graph 1 shows the polarization curve of

Stainless Steel Series 304 behaviour in Sodium
Chloride neutral solution. It is found that as the
applied potential increase, the curve undergo
passivity first. In the passivity region, it is
shown that noise occurs. This happened because
of disturb from electronic device while
experimental study is being conducted. As the
applied potential reach its pitting potential level,
the curve immediately spike up with constant
value recorded.
As for in pH 2 solution, it is observed from
polarisation curves that the metastable region
behaves moderately compared to neutral
solution. As it reached the pitting potential, it
goes same as well as neutral solution behaviour
whereby the curve immediately spike up with
constant value recorded.

In comparison between neutral solution and

pH solution, it can be seen from the graph that
there is a difference pitting potential value. In
neutral solution, the pitting potential is higher
compared with in pH 2 solution. Nevertheless,
the metastable region for pH 2 solution is
moderate in noise compared with the neutral
solution.
The reason of difference pitting potential
value between neutral solution and pH 2
solution is because the reaction takes place in
the solution itself. As the pH decrease, the
passive current increase, and it goes the same
with the pitting potential. In the end, the
corrosion rate increase.

Figure 3: Morphological View for Sample of Stainless

Steel Series 304 in Sodium Chloride Neutral Solution
#1

Figure 4: Morphological View for Sample of Stainless

Steel Series 304 in Sodium Chloride Neutral Solution
#2

Ran Dy Ooi | 8563481

and 7 is the condition of stainless steel series

304 in sodium chloride pH 2 solution.
It can be deduce that when stainless steel
series 304 in sodium chloride neutral solution, it
is more severe compared to the pH 2 solution.
The corrosion behaviour in pH 2 is less severe
compared to in the neutral solution. In figure 6
and 7, the hole or pit is being visualised
clearly while in figure 3, 4 and 5, the pit not
severe as in figure 6 and 7.
Figure 5: Morphological View for Sample of Stainless
Steel Series 304 in Sodium Chloride Neutral Solution
#3

Figure 6: Morphological View for Sample of Stainless

Steel Series 304 in Sodium Chloride pH 2 Solution #1

I.
CONCLUSION
AND
RECOMMENDATION
In conclusion, it is found that as the pH value
decrease, the passive current increase and the
general corrosion rate increase. But, the value
of pitting potential is decrease. As for the
neutral condition, the passive current decrease
and the general corrosion rate lower compared
with in the pH 2 solution. The pitting potential
for neutral solution is higher compared with the
pH 2 solution.
Based on the sample morphology observed
via microscope, the stainless steel series 304 in
sodium chloride neutral solution has severe
pitting on the metal. In contrary, the stainless
steel series 304 in sodium chloride pH 2
solution act oppositely whereby it more and less
like general corrosion on the metal.
II.
ACKNNOWLEDGEMENT
The author would like to thanks Corrosion
Protection Centre, Dr Stuart Lyon, Dr Drik
Engelberg, Dr Peter Skeldon, Dr Fabio Scenini
and Mr Paul Jordan, the faculty members and
classmates in order completing the experimental
study.

Figure 7: Morphological View for Sample of Stainless

Steel Series 304 in Sodium Chloride pH 2 Solution #2

Based on the sample shown on figure 3, 4 and

5 using microscope, it is found that the
corrosion is less severe compared to sample
shown on figure 6 and 7. Figure 3, 4 and 5 is
the condition of stainless steel series 304 in
sodium chloride neutral solution while figure 6

III.

REFERENCES

Abbaspour, M., Chapman, K. S., & Glasgow, L.

A. (2010). Transient modeling of nonisothermal, dispersed two-phase flow in natural
gas pipelines. Applied Mathematical Modelling,
495507.

Ran Dy Ooi | 8563481

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Dekker, 1995

Localized Corrosion, NACE, Houston, Texas

1986
Uhligs Corrosion Handbook, 2-Ed, John Wiley
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