Examining corrosion effects and corrosion/erosion interactions on metallic materials in aqueous slurries

In this paper aspects of the corrosion behaviour of two materials (Co-base Stellite X-40 and austenitic cast iron BS 3468 S2W) under aggressive slurry erosion conditions are considered. Electrochemical techniques are used to assess the rate of corrosion in impingement conditions. The material degradation has been separated into components of mechanical erosion, electrochemical corrosion and interactive effects. It has been shown that the erosion significantly enhances the corrosion rate of both materials and has the effect of moving Stellite X-40 from a passive to an active corrosion regime. However, in terms of the magnitude of the material loss component the effect of corrosion on erosion (often referred to as synergy) is a much more prominent feature for both materials.