Long-term corrosion studies of CrCoNi and CrMnFeCoNi in sulfuric acid

Abstract This study investigates the long-term corrosion behavior of CrCoNi and CrMnFeCoNi MPEAs over 28 d in 1 M H 2 SO 4 . Corrosion progression and passive film evolution were analyzed using open circuit potential measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Unlike short-term polarization tests, where CrCoNi exhibited intergranular corrosion, long-term immersion resulted in a stable, Cr-rich passive oxide layer. In contrast, CrMnFeCoNi formed a porous mixed oxide layer, increasing its susceptibility to degradation and revealing a distinct corrosion mechanism. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy tracking at weekly intervals showed that prolonged immersion led to the transformation of sulfide/sulfite species into a sulfate-containing surface film. This effect was only detectable in long-term corrosion studies. These findings provide new insights into the time-dependent degradation mechanisms of MPEAs and demonstrate that corrosion mechanisms differ significantly from short-term polarization tests. This highlights the need for long-term studies to properly assess material stability in practical applications.