Effects of hydrogen peroxide on intergranular stress corrosion cracking of stainless steel in high temperature water, (V): Characterization of oxide film on stainless steel by multilateral surface analyses

The difference in electrochemical corrosion potential of stainless steel exposed to high temperature pure water containing hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and oxygen (O₂)is caused by differences in chemical form of oxide films. In order to identify differences in oxide film structures on stainless steel after exposure to H₂O₂and O₂environments, characteristics of the oxide films have been examined by multilateral surface analyses, e.g., X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford back scattering spectroscopy (RBS), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Preliminary characterization results of oxide films confirmed that the oxide film formed under the H2O2 environment consists mainly of hematite (α-Fe₂O₂), while that under the O₂environment consists of magnetite (Fe₃O₄). Furthermore oxidation at the very surface of the film is much more enhanced under the H₂O₂environment than that under the O₂environment. It was speculated that metal hydroxide plays an important role in oxidation of stainless steel in the presence of H₂O₂. The difference in electric resistance of oxide film causes the difference in anodic polarization properties. It is recommended that several anodic polarization curves for specimens with differently oxidized films should be prepared to calculate ECP based on the Evans diagram.