Hydrogen in chromium: influence on corrosion potential and anodic dissolution in neutral NaCl solution

The influence of hydrogen charging, outgassing, pickling and passivation of mechanically polished chromium was investigated with respect to corrosion potential and anodic dissolution in 0.3 M NaCl solution. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy measurements were used to detect hydrogen after hydrogen charging by means of cathodic polarization. The results show that hydrogen in chromium decreases the corrosion potential and increases the anodic dissolution rate. Passivation in HNO 3 and pickling in HNO 3+HF increases the corrosion potential, whereas no significant effect on the anodic dissolution could be observed, probably due to a hydrogen uptake in these surface treatments.