Influence of Si content on the intergranular corrosion of SUS 309L stainless steels

The effect of Si content on the intergranular corrosion resistance of SUS 309L stainless steels was investigated by 10 wt.% oxalic acid test, 65 wt.% boiling nitric acid test, double loop electrochemical potential reactivation (DLEPR) method, optical microscope (OM) and scanning electronic microscope (SEM). A maximum corrosion rate, weight loss of 2.80 g m−1 h, was obtained when SUS 309L stainless steel containing 0.73 wt.% Si was subjected to heat treatment at 800 °C for 1 h. It shows that the Cr depletion zone formed due to σ phase precipitation. The same result is obtained in DLEPR test and the ditch microstructure after oxalic test was found in samples that showed the minimum corrosion rate.