Corrosion behaviour of Fe-Mn-Si based shape memory steels trained by cold rolling

Fe-Mn-Si based high nitrogen steels have been studied in recent years for potential industrial applications. These steels show good shape memory properties, high strength and excellent ductility. In the present study, the effects of training history on the corrosion properties of Fe-Mn-Si-Cr-Ni based high nitrogen steels were investigated. The corrosion behaviour of shape memory alloys was analyzed by implementing anodic polarisation measurements and immersion tests. The shape memory steels in annealed, deformed and recovered conditions were studied to examine the training effect on their corrosion behaviour. The features of the anodic polarisation curves indicated a general corrosion type of these steels. The experimental results showed that Cr and Mn had a marked influence on the corrosion behaviour of the steels, followed by Ni, N and V. It was also apparent that the deformation during the shape memory training by cold rolling decreased the corrosion stability, and the recovery heating reduced further their corrosion resistance. However, further studies are needed in order to better understand the corrosion behaviour of the investigated alloys. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.