Tribocorrosion under marine conditions involves complex electrochemical–mechanical interactions that critically affect material reliability. This study aims to elucidate the mechanism governing the contrasting tribocorrosion behaviors of passive 316L stainless steel and non-passive 22MnCrNiMo mooring chain steel.
Tribocorrosion behavior was systematically investigated using in situ electrochemical measurements coupled with sliding wear tests under different loads, supported by surface morphology characterization.
316L steel undergoes a transition from passive to active state during sliding due to passive film breakdown, resulting in intensified electrochemical activation and unstable wear behavior. In contrast, 22MnCrNiMo steel exhibits a positive shift in open circuit potential, associated with the removal of corrosion products and a more stable electrochemical state. Although the synergistic contribution is higher in 22MnCrNiMo steel, its total material loss remains significantly lower due to its stable, mechanically dominated wear regime.
This work reveals that tribocorrosion performance is governed not only by corrosion resistance, but more critically by the stability of electrochemical-mechanical coupling. In particular, a load-dependent transition from a relatively stable to an unstable tribocorrosion regime is identified in passive 316L stainless steel, providing a new perspective for understanding degradation mechanisms and material selection under marine sliding conditions.
