Effect of laser nitridation on the electrochemical corrosion behaviour of 316 stainless steel

Abstract

Nitridation of 316 stainless steel is achieved by using pulsed-laser-induced reactive quenching at the interface between the steel sample and a thin liquid nitrogen overlayer. The electrochemical corrosion behaviour of the virgin sample, the as-nitrided sample, and the nitrided and annealed sample is studied by the potentiokinetic polarization technique. It is shown that the nitrided and annealed sample has a considerably higher corrosion resistance than does the virgin sample. The state of the sample surface after the different treatments is characterized by small-angle X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy.