Tribocorrosion degradation of stainless steels by means of periodic depassivation/repassivation carried out in water and 0.5 m sulphuric acid
Résumé
Tribocorrosion is a damaging process leading to a wear of metallic materials under combined actions of sliding friction and corrosion. Their interactions axe intricate, each process having an influence on the other one. The mechanical and physico-mechanical phenomena involved in tribocorrosion are studied for two stainless steels in corrosive medium. The kinetics of periodic destruction and restoration of the passive chromium oxide surface film protecting the metal from the corrosive medium was evaluated. It was found that rubbing induced hardening (or possibly induced martensitic transformation) degrades the mechanical properties, wear and corrosion resistance. The major effect of galvanic coupling between the rubbed and not rubbed axeas is illustrated by the ability to restore the chromium oxide surface film after rubbing.