CORROSION PROPERTIES OF SILICON-ON-STEEL ION-BEAM MIXED LAYERS

Preliminary results of the study of corrosion properties of ion beam m ixed Si layers on AISI 316L steel are presented. The basic mixing para meters such as mixing efficiency and the thickness of residual Si laye rs were determined by means of the RES technique, The corrosion proces s was studied using the potentiodynamic method. The results show a sub stantial change in the corrosion mechanism of ion beam mixed layers. F itting corrosion characteristic for virgin or Si implanted samples is replaced by a crevice corrosion in the case of ion beam mixed ones. Th is is very likely due to the formation of brittle, high Si concentrati on layer susceptible to crevice corrosion that leads to the scalling o f surface layer. The results obtained for both, ion implanted and Si i on beam mixed samples, indicate that steel layers with relatively low (similar to 20 at%) Si content exhibit superior corrosion resistance.