• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.236-246
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• 2022

Electropolishing is a surface finishing treatment that compensates for the disadvantages of the mechanical polishing process. It not only has a smooth surface, but also improves corrosion resistance. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation is to examine the corrosion resistance and electrochemical characteristics in seawater of UNS S31603 with electropolishing process time. The roughness improvement rate after electropolishing was improved by about 78% compared to before polishing, indicating that the electropolishing is effective. As a result of potential measuring of mechanical polishing and electropolishing, the potential of electropolishing was nobler than the mechanical polishing condition. As a result of calculating the corrosion current density after potentiodynamic polarization experiment with electropolishing conditions, the corrosion current density of mechanical polishing was about 6.4 times higher than that of electropolishing. After potentiodynamic polarization experiment with electropolishing conditions, the maximum damage depth of mechanical polishing was about 2.2 times higher than that of electropolishing(7 minutes). In addition, the charge transfer resistance of the specimen electropolished for 7 minutes was the highest, indicating improved corrosion resistance.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.164-174
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• 2023

Electropolishing technology uses an electrochemical reaction and improves surface roughness, glossiness, and corrosion resistance. In this investigation, electropolishing was performed to improve the corrosion resistance of super austenitic stainless steel. As a result of electropolishing, surface roughness (0.16 ㎛) was improved by about 76.5% compared to mechanical polishing (0.68 ㎛). In addition, the electropolished surface was smooth because the average and variance values of the depth histogram were small. Tafel analysis was performed after a potentiodynamic polarization experiment with seawater temperature, and the microstructure was compared and analyzed. The corrosion current density at 30 ℃, 60 ℃, and 90 ℃ was reduced by 0.083 ㎂/cm², 0.296 ㎂/cm², and 0.341 ㎂/cm², respectively. Pitting occurred in the mechanical polished specimen at 30 ℃, but partial intergranular corrosion was observed in the electropolished specimen, and pitting occurred predominantly at both 60 ℃ and 90 ℃. In addition, the damage depths of the electropolished specimen were shallower than those of mechanical polishing at 30 ℃ and 60 ℃, but the opposite result was seen at 90 ℃.