Esca-Studies of the Structure and Composition of the Passive Film Formed On Stainless-Steels by Various Immersion Temperatures in 0.1 M Nacl Solution

This paper deals with the structure and composition of the passive film formed on the surface of two commercial stainless steels during immersion in 0.1 M NaCl for 0.5 h at 25, 60, and 90°C. The data shows that the passive films formed at 60 and 90°C by short-time solution exposure are very similar to these formed at 25°C, and are consistent with the three-factor model described previously: a hydrated layer in contact with the solution, an oxide layer consisting of iron and chromium oxides having maxima at depths of 3 and 10 Å, respectively, and a metallic layer enriched in nickel. There is a smooth transition between the layers, with the thickness of the outer two layers being about 15 Å