Effects of hydrogen and surface dislocation on active dissolution of deformed 304 austenitic stainless steel in acid chloride solution

The mechanochemical effects between dissolved hydrogen and deformation on active dissolution of 304 stainless steel in acid chloride solution were investigated by use of constant loading test method. A theoretical model was proposed in terms of the stored strain energy and electron work function. Results indicated that active dissolution was affected mainly by Gibbs free energy produced by the part of plastic deformation and surface dislocation structure. A good agreement between the prediction and test results revealed that the synergistic effect of stress and dissolved hydrogen only promoted the process of active dissolution. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.