Potential and solution conductivity inside stainless steel crevices in a very dilute bulk solution

Soma, Yasutaka   ; Komatsu, Atsushi ; Igarashi, Takahiro  

This study investigates the ion enrichment behavior inside stainless steel crevices in a very dilute solution (water containing 10~ppb Cl), under conditions where no localized corrosion occurred. In~situ measurements of the crevice potential () and solution conductivity () were performed and analyzed using a finite element model. In crevices with sufficiently large depth-to-gap ratios (), an initial decrease in increased the potential difference between the crevice interior and the external surface (), thereby promoting an increase in due to chloride accumulation. At later stages, increased owing to a decrease in pH and a reduction in the IR drop, causing to peak and subsequently decrease. Larger ratios resulted in lower and higher . For the largest condition investigated (~mm, m), and reached 0.218~V and 195.3~Scm, respectively, after ~s, corresponding to an estimated chloride enrichment factor exceeding . These results indicate that a driving force for chloride enrichment can be sustained for long durations even in passive crevices.