Pitting corrosion of martensitic stainless steel in halide bearing solutions

In this research, pitting corrosion of martensitic stainless steel in presence of halide anions was investigated by using polarization techniques. Results confirm that the aggressivity of halides increases in the following order: I− < Br− < Cl−. Although fluoride does not offer any pitting by itself, its presence together with chloride increases the occurrence frequency of metastable pits and pitting potential, simultaneously. While the pitting was more probable in NaCl solution, its metastable stability product was observed equal or even less than other solutions.