In order to assess the effect of ocrrosion pits on fatigue of a steel material, I would like to know if it is possible to create a single corrosion pit on a sample
You can use a thin drill (with a diameter of less than 1 mm) to drill a non-through hole in a stainless steel plate, about 1 mm deep, fill this recess with salt, and then place the entire sample in hot water. With a high probability, a single corrosion center is formed at the drilling site.
To create a single corrosion pit on a steel sample, there are a few common methods available. The first method involves electrochemical etching, where an electric current is used to induce localized corrosion on the steel surface by applying it between a small probe and a reference electrode. The probe, typically made of a more easily corroded material like zinc or magnesium, corrodes due to the current flow, depositing corrosion products on the steel surface to form a pit. Another method is chemical etching, which uses a chemical solution containing a strong acid or base to corrode the steel surface over a period, resulting in pit formation. The third method, mechanical scratching, uses a sharp object to scratch the steel surface, creating a defect that can serve as a site for corrosion pits to develop. The choice of method depends on the specific requirements of the application: electrochemical etching is precise but complex, chemical etching is faster but less precise, and mechanical scratching is the simplest but least precise. After creating corrosion pits, various characterization techniques like optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy can be employed to assess their impact on the steel's fatigue properties.
Thank you for your answers, I thought about creating a little hole but I would then add another parameter in my analysis since the hole creation would certainly affect the crack behavior (local plastification at the hole location) and I would not only measure the effect of the corrosion pit.
Chemical etching seems to be a good start solution. Do you have a publication or any document explaining a procedure to recommend?
Thanks a lot
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