Investigation of the Cold Working Effect on the Corrosion Resistance of 1.4301 Stainless Steel

This research investigated the effect of cold working on the corrosion resistance of 1.4301 (X5CrNi18-10, AISI 304) austenitic stainless steel. The test specimens were prepared by cold rolling. The original thickness of the austenitic steel was 3.0 mm. Cold rolling produced specimens with thicknesses of 2.5, 2.0, 1.5, 1.0, and 0.65 mm. A corrosion test was conducted according to ASTM G48 in a 6% ferric chloride solution for 45 h. The corrosion process caused weight loss, which was measured for all test specimens. The corrosion test results showed a clear correlation between deformation and corrosion-induced weight loss. Corrosion weight loss depended on the degree of cold working. Based on these results, the PREN index—which can be determined from the chemical composition—is not sufficient on its own to characterise the corrosion resistance of 1.4301 austenitic stainless steel, as the degree of cold working significantly modifies the extent of corrosion resistance.