M. Tavakoli Shoushtari - Materials Department, Faculty of Engineering, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz ۶۱۳۵۵, Iran,

The ۱۷-۴PH alloy is a martensitic stainless steel with ۳–۵ wt% Cu, strengthened by the precipitation hardening. Due to excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and ease of heat treatment, this alloy has unique applications in nuclear power plants and marine constructions. In this paper, the influence of ageing heat treatment, solution annealing followed by ageing at ۴۸۰, ۵۵۰ and ۶۲۰ °C on the corrosion behavior of ۱۷-۴PH stainless steel in ۳.۵% NaCl is reported. Various DC electrochemical measurements and microscopical examination was used. The slow scan rate potentiodynamic polarization revealed that by increasing ageing temperature from ۴۸۰ to ۵۵۰ °C, the pitting potential is significantly increased, but further increasing the ageing temperature to ۶۲۰ °C reduces the pitting potential. Microscopical observation also confirmed the formation of several metastable and stable pits in the sample aged at ۶۲۰ °C.

۱۷-۴PH stainless steel, Corrosion, Ageing heat treatment, Potentiodyanimc polarization