Does SUS316L material rust?
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Sea friends, SUS316L can be corroded under certain operating conditions. Is it possible for rusting to occur as part of this corrosion? If it rusts, what color will the rust be?
It depends on your usage environment, as well as the medium and temperature, but corrosion still occurs under normal conditions
Hydrogen depolarization corrosion may not occur under anaerobic conditions; generally, oxygen depolarization corrosion does result in rust when it takes place under aerobic conditions.
Thank you for the reply! So, is this rust caused by the oxidation of the iron components? If so, then what causes the iron within to be \"exposed\" and thus rust? If it is in a weakly acidic environment, will it not rust, but only corrode?
Since iron has the lowest electrode potential, it is oxidized first. A dense oxide film forms on the surface of this stainless steel; when this oxide film is damaged, the iron is exposed. If this oxide film is damaged in a reducing acid, it is difficult for it to repair itself; whereas in an oxidizing acid, it has a good ability to repair itself. For the specific corrosion mechanisms, you can refer to corrosion theory.
Thank you for the patient explanation; I’ve learned a lot!
SUS316L stainless steel has relatively good corrosion resistance, but it can still rust. We have conducted many tests such as neutral salt spray/salt water, acidic salt spray/salt water, etc., and in all cases rust appears, in the form of yellowish-red rust spots. Pickling salt spray/salt water creates an acidic environment with a pH of 3 using the weak acid acetic acid.
It is possible to rust even in tap water