Effect of Cr addition on the Corrosion-Wear Behaviors of 18Mn(V, Mo) Steel in a Seawater Environment

The objective of this study was to examine the wear-corrosion behavior of 18Mn(V, Mo) steel, which had a minor amount of Cr addition (< 3 wt%), in an artificial seawater environment, and compare it to conventional carbon steel. A variety of electrochemical experiments, including linear polarization resistance, impedance spectroscopy, and galvanostatic polarization, were conducted, along with weight loss measurements after immersion and wear-corrosion testing. These tests aimed to determine the static corrosion and wear-corrosion mechanisms of 18Mn(V, Mo) steel with respect to Cr addition. The results of this study indicated that the addition of Cr to 18Mn(V, Mo) steel refined the V4C3 particles in the microstructure, which led to an increase in surface hardness. Moreover, the 18Mn(V, Mo) steel with Cr addition exhibited the lowest corrosion and corrosion-wear losses, compared to 18Mn(V, Mo) steel without Cr and conventional carbon steel. This beneficial effect was primarily attributed to the formation of a thin Crenriched corrosion scale that adhered to the underlying steel. This corrosion scale served as a protective barrier against the penetration of corrosive species and as a lubricant for mechanical wear. The 18Mn(V, Mo) steel with Cr addition has potential application in various industrial fields, particularly in marine and offshore environments, owing to its low corrosion-induced wear loss rate in a brine environment.