Characterization of the Corrosion of Nanostructured 17-4\u2009PH Stainless Steel by Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT)

Abstract

Abstract The corrosion properties of nanostructured 17-4PH stainless steel facilitated by a surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) process were studied using electrochemical measurements in 0.6\u2009M NaCl aqueous solution. The microstructure of the surface layer was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrated the formation of a nanostructured surface layer on the surface of the material. By the combination of SMAT and low-temperature annealing processes, the potentiodynamic polarization measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra demonstrated an improvement in the corrosion resistance of 17-4PH stainless steel with a reduced corrosion current density of 0.241\u2009mA/cm2 and a higher chromium content. The improved corrosion resistance may be attributed to the formation of nucleation sites through which chromium may freely move from the matrix to the upper surface and thereby form a protective oxide layer on the surface of the material.