On the Influence of Cold Working and Electrochemical Nitridation on the Corrosion Behaviour of 316L Austenitic Stainless Steel in Acidic Environment

The present paper investigates the effect of cold working and electrochemical nitridation on corrosion resistance of 316L austenitic stainless steel (ASS). The X-ray diffraction results showed that the strain-induced martensite is formed on cold work. Also, the volumetric fraction of strain induced martensite and dislocation density increased with increase in degree of cold work. The cold working process adversely affects the corrosion resistance of 316L ASS due to the formation of the strain-induced martensite and increased dislocation density. On electrochemical nitridation, the electrochemical results show the formation of stable passive film, thus improving the corrosion resistance of 316L ASS attributed to the formation of nitrides on the surface. Moreover, the beneficial effect of electrochemical nitridation is more pronounced in cold worked samples, thus the adverse effects of cold working can be overcome by electrochemical nitridation.