Local electrochemistry and in situ microscopy of pitting at sensitized grain boundary of type 304 stainless steel in NaCl solution

To elucidate the pit initiation behavior of sensitized stainless steels, the anodic polarization of a single grain boundary was examined in 0.1 M NaCl (pH 5.4) at 298 K using a micro-electrochemical system. For Type 304 heat-treated at 923 K for 2 h, no pitting was initiated on a small area (ca. 100 μm × 100 μm) with a sensitized grain boundary without MnS inclusions. However, stable pitting was observed on the electrode area that was larger than ca. 200 μm × 200 μm. In situ microscopy revealed that the first step in corrosion was a spherical pit generated at a MnS inclusion at a sensitized grain boundary, and that intergranular corrosion started at the pit. The local depassivation of the Cr-depleted zone along the sensitized grain boundary was thought to be introduced by the dissolution of the inclusion. The co-existence of the MnS inclusion and the Cr-depleted zone was considered to be the critical factor in the pit initiation of sensitized stainless steels in NaCl solutions.