Semiconducting Behaviour of Stainless Steel Passive Films in Contact with Artificial Seawater

摘要

Passive films formed on AISI 316L stainless steel in nitric acid solution and placed in contact with artificial seawater were investigated by Auger analysis, capacitance measurements and photoelectrochemical measurements. The correlation between the electronic structure of the film and the tendency to localised corrosion is discussed, suggesting that the film breakdown involves the ionisation of localised states and/or surface states situated deep in the bandgap.