The Effect of Erosion on the Electrochemical Properties of AISI 1020 Steel

The mechanisms and characteristics of the mechano-electrochemical effect were investigated for eroded AISI 1020 steel specimens. The effect of erosion on open-circuit potential, corrosion potential, linear polarization resistance, and corrosion rate was determined. The corrosion rate was exponentially related to the decrease in corrosion potential and increase in the strain energy. The corrosion rate was quantitatively calculated using a mechano-electrochemical dynamic equation, which is based on the decrease in corrosion potential and increase in strain energy. The calculated rate agrees well with the experimentally measured corrosion rate.