Effect of silicon addition on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of sintered stainless steel

The influence of silicon addition on the physical properties and the corrosion behavior of sintered austenitic 304L stainless steel was evaluated. The density of the sintered stainless steel changed depending upon the amount of silicon added. A “pseudo-peritectic” reaction developed during the sintering of high silicon content alloys and resulted in an increased sintering rate and enhanced densification. The corrosion resistance of the various sintered stainless steels was evaluated from the results of potentiodynamic polarization curves and corrosion rate measurements and from the appearance of the corroded surfaces. The results indicated that the corrosion resistance was improved with the addition of more than 2 wt.% Si.