Corrosion behavior of Fe-Mn-Si-Cr-Ni-Co shape memory stainless steel in highly oxidizing medium

A study was conducted on the corrosion behavior and characteristics of the passive oxide film of Fe-Mn-Si-Cr-Ni-(Co) shape memory stainless steels (SMSS) in a concentrated nitric acid (HNO3) solution, based on potentiodynamic polarization, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The results indicated that Fe-Mn-Si-Cr-Ni-(Co) SMSSs exhibit a passive behavior similar to that of 304L austenitic stainless steel (304L SS). However, unlike 304L SS, their high silicon (Si) content renders them insensitive to intergranular attack in highly oxidizing environments. The XPS analysis also indicated that Si appears to be the main element responsible for the high protectiveness afforded by the passive film formed on Fe– Mn–Si–Cr–Ni–Co SMSS.