Electrochemical behaviour of AISI‐316 stainless steels in sulphuric/nitric acid mixtures

Stainless steels are very unique in that they offer a wide range and combination of resistance to corrosion, resistance to oxidation at high temperature and good mechanical properties at room temperature. With rapid industrialization all over the world, these very properties have led to extensive use of stainless steels in different industries. Austenitic stainless steels containing molybdenum exhibit corrosion resistance in both sulphuric acid and nitric acid. Stainless steel undergoes severe attack in sulphuric acid having concentrations in the range of 20‐85 per cent, whereas they are immune to nitric acid in any concentration. However, sensitized stainless steels are prone to intergranular attack in acids, even in nitric acid. Further, the attack is aggravated in the presence of aggressive ions. Study of the behaviour of stainless steels in a mixture of acids (nitric and sulphuric acid) is lacking in the literature. This paper, therefore, discusses the performance of AISI‐316 and 316‐L in sulphuric acid and nitric acid and a mixture thereof at room temperature. It is observed that the steels are quite resistant to sulphuric acid and nitric acid, but in the acid mixture they are not so resistant, especially in AISI‐316 SS in respect of corrosion resistance, even in acid mixture containing C1^‐ and Cu⁺⁺ ions.