Corrosion Performance of AISI-309 Exposed to Molten Salts V2O5-Na2SO4 at 700°C Applying EIS and Rp Electrochemical Techniques

The corrosion performance of AISI-309 exposed 5 days to molten salts 50 mol% V2O5-50 mol% Na2SO4 at 700°C is reported in this paper. Such evaluation was made using three electrochemical techniques: potentiodynamic polarization curve (PC), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear polarization resistance (Rp). From PC, the Tafel slopes, Icorr, and Ecorr were obtained. From Nyquist and Bode plots, it was possible to determine two different stages; the first one showed just one loop, which indicated the initial formation of Cr2O3 layer over the metallic surface; after that, the dissolution of Cr2O3 formed a porous layer, which became part of the corrosion products; at the same time a NiO layer combined with sulfur was forming, which was suggested as the second stage, represented by two capacitive loops. EIS plots were in agreement with the physical characterization made from SEM and EDS analyses. Fitting of EIS experimental data allowed us to propose two electrical circuits, being in concordance with the corrosion stages. Parameters obtained from the simulation of EIS data are also reported. From the results, it was stated that AISI-309 suffered intergranular corrosion due to the presence of sulfur, which diffused to the metallic surface through a porous Cr2O3 layer