Influence of low-temperature carburising on metal release from AISI316L austenitic stainless steel in acetic acid

Abstract AISI316L austenitic stainless steel is widely used in the food industry, usually in contact with aggressive environments. Low-temperature carburising (LTC) is a treatment increasingly applied to this steel in order to harden the surface without decreasing corrosion resistance. In the present work, electrochemical and immersion tests were carried out in acetic acid 3 vol.% (reference environment for metals in contact with acetic foodstuffs), so as to investigate the influence of LTC on metal release. The results showed that the LTC-treated steel is less passivable in this environment, producing higher alloying metal release than the untreated steel.