Tribocorrosion behavior of 410SS in artificial seawater: effect of applied potential

In this work, a series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of applied potential on the tribocorrosion behavior of 410SS using a tribometer integrated with an electrochemical workstation. Results show that tribocorrosion rate of 410SS varies with applied potential and reaches a maximum at -0.1 V. By applying potential pulse method, it indicates that the repassivation kinetics of 410SS is much slower than general stainless steels. The XPS results reveal great changes in the composition of tribocorrosion products, which are enriched in Fe3O4 and Fe(OH)(2) in the lower potential range while become Fe2O3, FeOOH, and Fe(OH)(3) at more positive potential. The characteristics of tribocorrosion products depend on surface chemistry which varies in compliance with applied potential, and thus, alters the tribocorrosion rate of 410SS. Moreover, the synergistic effect between wear and corrosion was quantified, showing that pure mechanical wear and corrosion-induced wear were the main reasons for the degradation of 410SS.