Electrochemical corrosion properties of the surface layer produced by supersonic fine-particles bombarding on low-carbon steel

A grain refined surface layer thicker than 15 μm was fabricated on a low-carbon steel by supersonic fine-particles bombarding (SFPB). The microstructure and electrochemical corrosion properties of the original and the SFPB treated (SFPB-ed) low-carbon steel were characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and corrosion tests. The results showed that the microstructure of the top surface layer was refined to fine grains with the grain size about 3 μm by SFPB. Dislocation tangles and dense dislocation cells about 500 nm in width were formed in the refined grains. Large amounts of micro-cracks were introduced into the surface layer of the SFPB-ed sample, which led to the increase of its surface roughness. The SFPB treatment accelerated the corrosion of the low-carbon steel in a neutral 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The surface layer of the SFPB-ed low-carbon steel was dissolved after a certain time of corrosion, which led to the decrease of its corrosion rate. In a saturated Ca(OH)2 solution with and without Cl−, the micro-cracks in the surface layer of the SFPB-ed sample did not degrade its passivity properties and pitting resistance, which was due to the superior re-passivation properties of the abundant crystalline defects in its surface layer, such as grain boundaries and dislocations.