The role of applied stress in the anodic dissolution of sulfide inclusions and pit initiation of stainless steels

Abstract Anodic dissolution of bulk (Mn, Cr, Fe)S was accelerated under applied stress. Despite the slight increase in transpassive dissolution of bulk Cr2S3 under stress, no difference in polarization behavior of bulk Ti4C2S2 was observed under the stress and no-stress conditions. Under applied stress, a decrease in the pitting potential of the stainless steel with (Mn, Cr, Fe)S inclusions was confirmed. For the steel with CrS inclusions, pitting was initiated in the transpassive region, and the pitting potential decreased under applied stress. The pitting potential of the stainless steel with Ti4C2S2 inclusions did not change under the stress and no-stress conditions.