Effect of inclusions modified by rare earth elements (Ce, La) on localized marine corrosion in Q460NH weathering steel

In this work the initial stages of the pitting corrosion in Q460NH weathering steel in a marine environment was studied. To elucidate the effects of inclusions modified by rare earth (RE) elements on pitting corrosion, field emission-scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry (FE-SEM-EDS) analyses, scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM) tests, and a series of immersion tests were conducted. Two main types of inclusions were formed in the steel, and different pit morphologies were observed. The pitting corrosion was initiated by the dissolution of (RE)(2)O2S-(RE)xSy in both types of inclusions due to the lower potential of this phase compared to the matrix, which indicated that the inclusions in the Q460NH weathering steel had a lower pitting corrosion resistance than the matrix.