Electrochemical characteristics of stainless steel using impressed current cathodic protection in seawater

Stainless steels such as STS 304, 316 and 630 are frequently used as shaft materials in small fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) fishing boats. If the shaft material is exposed to a severely corrosive environment such as seawater, it should be protected using appropriate methods. The impressed current cathodic protection was used to inhibit corrosion in shaft materials. In anodic polarization, passivity was remarkably more evident in STS 316 stainless steel than in STS 304 and STS 630. The pitting potentials of STS 304, 316, and 630 stainless steels were 0.30, 0.323, and 0.260 V, respectively. The concentration polarization due to oxygen reduction and activation polarization due to hydrogen generation were evident in the cathodic polarization trends of all three stainless steeds. STS 316 had the lowest current densities in all potential ranges, and STS 630 had the highest. Tafel analysis showed that STS 316 was the most noble in the three. In addition, the corrosion current density was the lowest for STS 316.