Sustained Effect of the Micro-galvanic Corrosion Behavior in the Initial Corrosion Process of AH36 Ship Plate Steel
摘要
The corrosion behavior of AH36 ship plate steel with a pearlite-ferrite dual-phase microstructure was investigated using Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (SKPFM) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The initial corrosion behavior evolution of AH36 steel was studied by immersing it in 0.5 wt.% NaCl solution for different times. With increasing immersion time, the ferrite inside the pearlite phase preferentially underwent anodic dissolution, leading to a gradual increase in the area of hard Fe3C residuals. Due to the continuous enhancement of the galvanic corrosion effect between the residual lamellar cementite and ferrite, the polarization resistance of the sample decreased, resulting in an accelerated corrosion rate. SKPFM results indicated that Fe3C has a potential 36 mV higher than that of ferrite phase, with Fe3C acting as a cathodic phase, thereby accelerating the anodic dissolution of the ferrite phase.