The cathodic polarization behavior of 316 L stainless steel in seawater

To explore the available cathodic protection potential for 316 L stainless steel in seawater, the potentiodynamic polarization scan and potentiostatic polarization measurements were carried out in natural seawater and simulated occlusion solution. The effect of cathodic potential on localized corrosion was assessed by potentiostatic weight-loss tests, and the products on the 316 L surface after polarization at different polarization potential were analyzed by stereo-microscope (SM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX). The results show that the appropriate cathodic protection potential is between -0.6~ -0.9V (vs. SCE), and the cathodic protection efficiency surpasses 80% in simulated occlusion solutions.