Corrosion Performance of SS 316L in High-Chloride Environments: Implications for Industrial Cooling Water Systems

Pradyut Anand; Nitin Lamba; Mohit Aggarwal

doi:10.62638/ZasMat1733

Authors

Pradyut Anand Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering & Technology, Noida International University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4055-2849
Nitin Lamba Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering & Technology, Noida International University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4510-1705
Mohit Aggarwal Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering & Technology, Noida International University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8993-6064

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62638/ZasMat1733

Abstract

The growing use of reclaimed wastewater in industrial recirculating cooling systems has led to a gradual buildup of chlorides, raising concerns about the long-term corrosion behaviour of structural materials. The stainless steel 316L (SS316L) is commonly used in these systems due to its natural ability to resist corrosion, although the passive layer is prone to breakdown in the presence of chlorides. The current study involves the investigation of corrosion behaviour of SS316L in the conditions of simulated cyclic cooling-water conditions together with carefully controlled water chemistry, with a specific focus on isolating the role of chloride concentration and determining the mitigating effect of water hardness. Electrochemical data and gravimetric analysis showed that there is a strong positive correlation between the chloride concentration and the rate of corrosion. At low levels of chloride (less than 500 mg/L), SS316L displayed a stable passivation with low corrosion rates (<0.015 mpy). Nevertheless, it was found that there was a critical point of about 1000 mg/L where the passive film could not hold and the localised corrosion accelerated. Corrosion rates were very high at chloride levels above 1500 mg/L, and in the case of cyclic exposure, they reached 0.04 mpy. The condition of increased water hardness, which was represented by the calcium and magnesium ions, had a significant moderating effect on chloride-induced corrosion since it stabilised the passive layer and decreased the current density, especially when using high levels of chloride. These results show that water chemistry optimisation, especially by the controlled use of chloride concentration and hardness, can be used as a cost-effective and economical corrosion-reduction measure. The findings provide useful information on how to increase the material stability and operational consistency of industrial cooling systems that operate using reclaimed water.

Keywords:

Corrosion induced by chloride; Stainless steel 316L; Cyclic cooling water systems; Water hardness; Corrosion mitigation strategies

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