Abstract
A modified stainless steel coating, named as M-SUS here, was prepared by the air plasma spray process (APS) and the high velocity flame spray process (HVOF) and compared with a conventional stainless steel (JIS: SUS316L). Anodic polarization tests using NaCl, HCl solutions, neutral salt spray test, and exposure test in actual tank for HCl storage were employed for the evaluation of corrosion resistance. Structure of the coatings was investigated by use of optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, electron probe micro-analyzer, and transmission electron microscope. It was found that the coating M-SUS exhibited a remarkably superior corrosion resistance by all tests mentioned above, compared with the conventional ones. Although both of the coatings compose of gamma-austenite (γ-Fe) and delta-ferrite (δ-Fe) phases, the coating M-SUS reveals much less oxide with chromium and more delta-phase enriched with molybdenum. Another exposure test using a mixed acid of 25%HNO3 and 75%HCl yielded that the δ-Fe was not etched out but the γ-Fe vanished, that is, the δ-Fe of M-SUS has a strong anti-corrosion property. It is considered that the superior corrosion resistance of coating M-SUS is attributed to the extensive formation of anti-corrosive δ-Fe and inhibition of chromium depletion resulting from oxide formation.
