A new insight on the corrosion behavior and mechanism of martensitic steel

The corrosion performance of martensitic steel remains a matter of dispute, with no consensus on whether it exhibits heightened or diminished corrosion resistance. In this study, the corrosion behavior and mechanism of martensitic steel were systematically investigated by simulating a cargo oil tank environment. The results indicate that under strong acidic conditions, the corrosion rate of martensite (1.1404 mm/y) is significantly higher than that of ferrite-pearlite (0.7430 mm/y) due to its increased dislocation density and internal stress. Additionally, the presence of high-energy defects provides abundant active sites for the redeposition of Cu-bearing particles, while their uneven distribution further exacerbates corrosion. Therefore, we propose a competitive mechanism that governs the corrosion behavior of martensite, complementing the understanding of its behavior and mechanism.