Effect of Rolling Process on the Corrosion Resistance of Ferritic Stainless Steel

This study systematically and comprehensively evaluated the effects of rolling techniques and grain orientations on ferritic stainless steel using electrochemical, immersion, cyclic immersion, and uniform corrosion methods. The results indicated that the reversible rolling sample exhibited superior surface quality; while, the continuously rolled sample displayed noticeable rolling defects. The pitting potential of the reversible rolling sample (309.46 mVSCE) was greater than that of the continuously rolled sample (286.77 mVSCE). In situ observation of the corrosion of stainless steel in a sodium chloride environment through SCEM testing revealed that the surface current intensity was at the picoampere level, with the reversible rolling sample showing a lower surface current intensity. In the cyclic immersion test, the reversible rolling sample experienced less weight loss and a lower uniform corrosion rate. After accounting for the influence of the surface process, the corrosion resistance of the reversible rolling still surpassed that of the continuous rolling. Furthermore, from a texture perspective, the reversible rolling sample exhibited a strong {100} < 110> and a weak {223} <110> texture; while, the continuously rolled sample displayed a strong {100} <112> and a weak {223} <362> texture. The {100} plane demonstrated better corrosion resistance due to its higher atomic packing density, lower surface energy, stronger chemical stability, and higher energy barrier for corrosion reactions.