Corrosion resistance of colored films grown on stainless steel by the alternating potential pulse method

Colored oxide films were grown on AISI-304 stainless-steel samples using the alternating potential pulse method with different amplitudes (0.41, 0.42, 0.43, and 0.44 V) and electrolysis times (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50 min). The resistance of the colored samples to uniform and pit corrosion was also evaluated. All the different colored samples were less susceptible to uniform corrosion than the non-colored ones. Furthermore, the colored samples whose oxide films were grown using potential amplitudes of 0.42 and 0.44 V showed lower uniform corrosion rates than those grown with other potential amplitudes. The susceptibility to pitting corrosion was practically the same for colored and non-colored steel samples. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.