High-velocity oxygen fuel thermal spray stainless steel coatings are desirable for their excellent erosion resistance. However, the fabrication process can lead to a decrease in corrosion resistance in comparison to the original bulk material. Here we produced stainless steel coatings on stainless steel substrates using varying deposition parameters to investigate the corrosion properties of the resulting composite steels and elucidate the corrosion behavior both on the macro and micro scale. Macro potentiodynamic polarization measurements carried out in corroding environments demonstrated the rate of degradation of the Fe-Cr alloy coating. After short immersion periods, the coatings showed iron-like active corroding behavior and no passivation regions on the anodic branch. Over time, the coating’s corrosion behavior began to change to signify similar results to that of pure chromium. Ex-situ electron microscopy and elemental composition revealed a Cr oxide rich layer left on the coating’s surface. Micro electrochemical techniques including scanning electrochemical microscopy and scanning micropipette contact method were employed over the coatings and powdered material, respectively, to show that the lack of protective passivity the thermal spray coatings possess is mostly inherited from the atomized powdered stainless steel material.

Thermally sprayed stainless-steel coatings were produced with a wide range of deposition parameters. The electrochemical behavior of polished coatings was monitored for 3 weeks in 3.5 wt.% NaCl aqueous solution and compared to that of reference materials including a wrought stainless steel plate and a bulk ingot produced by arc melting of the spraying powder feedstock. Transitions in the polarization behavior are discussed based on the observed changes in coating microstructures as well as on the shifts in X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). Results show that the deposition parameters have a strong effect on the coating microstructures but the small differences in the polarization behavior of coatings mostly disappear after 1 week of testing. Microstructure evidence shows preferential corrosion at splats experiencing melting prior to deposition. Pitting and corrosion products between splat boundaries are also reported. XPS analysis shows that the coating surfaces are enriched in chromium oxides and hydroxides. Comparison between the coating and bulk stainless steels suggests that coating inherent defects play a major role on their impaired corrosion resistance.