Localized corrosion in selective laser melted SS316L in CO2 and H2S brines at elevated temperatures

In this work, the passivation and localized corrosion of selective laser melted (SLM) stainless steel 316 L when exposed to high pressures of CO2 with the presence of H2S and Cl− at 25 °C and 125 °C were studied. Depletion of Cr/Mo was observed at the cell interiors and melt-pool boundaries (MPBs) compared to the cell boundaries. Volta potential differences obtained from scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM) showed that the MPBs were 8–20 mV lower than the matrix, while the cell interiors were 20–50 mV lower than the cell boundaries. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Mott–Schottky tests indicated a more defective passive film at 125 °C, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the formation of a less protective film with an increased S/O ratio at 125 °C than 25 °C. Initiation of localized corrosion was observed at the MPBs and pits formed after a week of immersion were wider by an order of magnitude at 125 °C than 25 °C, with evidence of cell-interior dissolution. While passivity was observed even at elevated temperatures, local chemical heterogeneities compromised the stability of the film and contributed to localized corrosion in SLM SS316L.