New aspects of the galvanokinetic polarization technique for pitting corrosion studies

The galvanokinetic (GK) polarization technique was used to study pitting corrosion of 316L stainless steel in chloride solution pH = 8. The effect of the GK scan rate V g on different pitting characteristics such as the critical pitting potential E cp, the stable potential after the start of pitting E s, the corresponding charges Q c and Q s and the protection potential against the propagation of pitting E prot were determined. Theoretical relations specific to the GK method, between the current densities J c, J s, the charges Q c, Q s, the critical time t c and the scan rate V g were established. These relations are in very good agreement with the experimental data.