2026-04-14T02:21:49Zhttps://recercat.cat/oai/request

oai:recercat.cat:2117/4439912026-01-30T08:04:08Zcom_2072_1033col_2072_452950

Electrochemical behavior of thermomechanically processed UNS S41003 steel in acidic chloride media: Assessing martensitic transformation effects Queiroz, Carlos Henrique B. Alves Marques, Davi Diógenes, Otílio B.F. Girão, Daniel de C. Bastos Vasques, Roberta Viana, Adolfo K. do N. Fargas Ribas, Gemma Cerra Flórez, Mauro Andrés Araújo, Walney Silva Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria dels materials UNS S41003 Stainless steel Corrosion resistance Mechanical properties UNS S41003 is a low-cost, low-carbon ferritic stainless steel that exhibits moderate corrosion resistance but limited mechanical performance. This study evaluates the electrochemical behavior of untreated and thermomechanically treated UNS S41003 samples. Corrosion tests were conducted in acidic electrolytes with varying pH to simulate aggressive en- vironments relevant to industrial and structural applications where exposure to acidic media and corrosive pollutants occurs. Potentiodynamic polarization curves for all sam- ples displayed passive regions typically associated with protective oxide film formation; however, localized pitting corrosion was detected post-test. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicated a marked decrease in corrosion resistance as pH decreased. The corrosion resistance of the treated alloy remained comparable to that of the untreated condi- tion, indicating that thermomechanical processing did not detrimentally affect passivity or corrosion performance under the tested conditions. The literature suggests that the applied treatment enhances mechanical properties, supporting the potential use of this alloy in structural components subjected to acidic environments requiring a balance of mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. The authors acknowledge Brazilian agencies Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), and Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Funcap) for the support and Central Analítica for the SEM analyses. Postprint (published version) 2025-08-01 Article https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/8/880 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access Attribution 4.0 International Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)