The influence of texture density and free surface energy on the corrosion resistance of laser-textured 316L stainless steel

Abstract 316L stainless steel, despite its widespread industrial use, exhibits moderate corrosion resistance. Laser surface texturing has emerged as a promising technique to enhance this property. Specifically, laser texturing using dimples can effectively increase the corrosion resistance and surface free energy of the material. However, the influence of dimple density on these properties has been insufficiently explored. This study investigates the impact of texture density on the corrosion resistance and surface free energy of 316L stainless steel. Surfaces were textured with an infrared nanosecond fibre laser, and their corrosion behaviour and surface free energy were subsequently assessed. The results demonstrate a clear correlation between increased texture density and enhanced corrosion resistance, alongside a rise in surface free energy. Notably, surfaces textured with densities of 75% and 91% exhibited spontaneous repassivation, indicating a significant improvement in corrosion resistance due to the high texture density.