The effect of chromium on the corrosive performance of novel high manganese steel frogs in a simulated industrial atmosphere

Abstract The corrosion behavior of three novel high manganese steel frogs with different Cr contents in a simulated industrial corrosive atmospheric environment is studied through the corrosion weight gain, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical testing. The results indicate that the content of Cr in the steel affects the phase composition, density, and electrochemical stability of the rust layer. For instance, as the Cr content increases, the content of the amorphous phase in the rust layer continuously increases while that of γ-FeOOH decreases, leading to enhanced density and electrochemical stability of the rust layer. The study reveals that Cr exists in the rust layer in the form of Cr2O3 and Cr(OH)3, providing nucleation cores to nanoscale colloidal rust particles. Consequently, a higher Cr content leads to more nucleation cores, which improves the density of the rust layer and enhances the corrosion resistance of the novel high manganese steel frogs in industrial corrosive atmospheric environments.