Effect of sliding wear and electrochemical potential on tribocorrosion behaviour of AISI 316 stainless steel in seawater

Sliding tribocorrosion behaviours of AISI 316 stainless steel were investigated against alumina ball in natural seawater environment (SWE) under 5 N loads. OCP (open circuit potential), potentiostatic (-1 V and 0.3 V) and potentiodynamic measurements were enforced to understand the influence of the sliding wear and electrochemical potential on tribocorrosion behaviours of AISI 316 stainless steel in SWE. Tribocorrosion experiments were conducted with a ball-on-disk type reciprocating tribometer integrated with the three-electrode potentiostat. The wear track surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and optical profilometry. Mechanical effects reduced corrosion potential under both OCP and potentiodynamic scans in tribocorrosion conditions. Ploughing effects on the wear track were evident at the OCP and -1 V potential because of the predominance of mechanical effects. Pits were determined to develop due to the formation of the galvanic couple between worn and unworn surfaces after the tribocorrosion test, which was conducted under 0.3 V potential. The reduction of the contact area because of the pits and the lubricating effect of the oxides on the surface caused the lowest coefficient of friction (COF) in the wear zone at 0.3 V potential. Besides, COF obtained under -1 V cathodic protection potential (0.35) was less than in OCP condition (0.37) since it only occurred by the wear effects. The study also revealed that material loss from the wear track increased from cathodic potential towards anodic potential. (C) 2020 Karabuk University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

The sliding tribocorrosion behaviors of AISI 316 stainless steel in natural seawater environment were influenced by both mechanical effects and electrochemical potential. After conducting tribocorrosion experiments at different potentials, it was found that the lowest coefficient of friction in the wear zone occurred at 0.3V potential.