Identification of precipitations in anodically dissolved high-strength microalloyed Weldox steels

Purpose: The aim of the investigations is to elaborate the optimum conditions of anodic dissolutions from highstrength microalloyed Weldox steels in order to obtain indispensable quantities of electrolytic extractions and to identify them by X-ray phase analysis. Design/methodology/approach: Anodic dissolution of steel was carried out according to the potentiostatic method. In the X-ray qualitative analysis the comparative method was applied. The corrosion resistance of steels was determined by means of the first method of Stern - Tafel. Findings: The activity of anodic dissolution of the investigated steel was determined in various solutions of electrolytes with different pH and a different complexive affect versus iron. Practical implications: It has been found that the application of an optimal reagent for the anodic dissolution of Weldox Steel and of the chronopotentriometric method permit to get the required mass of electrolytic extraction for the qualitative X-ray phase analysis. Electrochemical investigations permitted also to assess preliminarily the corrosion resistance of the investigated steels. Originality/value: It has been found that there exists a distinct relation between the mass of electrolytic extractions and the kind of the dissolved precipitation and the value of the electrochemical potential of the anodic dissolution of steel, which affects essentially the result of the X-ray phase analysis. Besides, a high corrosion resistance of the investigated steels to the destructive effect of a saline environment and a low resistance to an acid environment have been detected.