Studies on the Pitting Corrosion of the Delta‐52 Steel in aqueous solutions. 2. Variation of the pitting potential in relation to the concentration of the aggressive anion

Potentiodynamic anodic polarization curves have been traced for an electrode of the steel Delta‐52 (0.40, 0.78Mn, 0.045 S, 0.06P, 0.23 Si): the aggresive media used were potassium hydroxide without and with additions of potassium chloride, bromide and iodide. The oxide film present on the steel surface does not inhibit active dissolution; only at potentials exceeding+2 (S. C. E.) passivity sets in. The polarization behaviour of the steel is not influenced by the addition of the halide salts; above a certain salt concentration, however, there is a sharp increase in dissolution current. This phenomenon is an indication of the start of pitting. Between the pitting potential and the anion concentration there exists a well defined relation.