COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF CATHODIC LIMITATIONS ON LOCALIZED CORROSION OF WETTED SS 316L, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

The ability of a SS316L surface wetted with a thin electrolyte layer to serve as an effective cathode for an active localized corrosion site was studied computationally. The dependence of the total net cathodic current, I{sub net}, supplied at the repassivation potential E{sub rp} (of the anodic crevice) on relevant physical parameters including water layer thickness (WL), chloride concentration ([Cl{sup -}]) and length of cathode (Lc) were investigated using a three-level, full factorial design. The effects of kinetic parameters including the exchange current density (i{sub o,c}) and Tafel slope ({beta}{sub c}) of oxygen reduction, the anodic passive current density (i{sub p}) (on the cathodic surface), and E{sub rp} were studied as well using three-level full factorial designs of [Cl{sup -}] and Lc with a fixed WL of 25 {micro}m. The study found that all the three parameters WL, [Cl{sup -}] and Lc as well as the interactions of Lc x WL and Lc x [Cl{sup -}] had significant impact on I{sub net}. A five-factor regression equation was obtained which fits the computation results reasonably well, but demonstrated that interactions are more complicated than can be explained with a simple linear model. Significant effects on I{sub net} were found upon varying either i{sub o,c}, {beta}{sub c}, or E{sub rp}, whereas i{sub p} in the studied range was found to have little impact. It was observed that I{sub net} asymptotically approached maximum values (I{sub max}) when Lc increased to critical minimum values. I{sub max} can be used to determine the stability of coupled localized corrosion and the critical Lc provides important information for experimental design and corrosion protection