Corrosion resistance of sintered austenitic stainless steels

The corrosion resistance and electrochemical behavior of sintered AISI 304L and AISI 316L samples is evaluated in sulfate and chloride containing solutions. It is shown that the sintering atmosphere strongly influences the microstructure of austenitic stainless steels. Samples sintered in nitrogen-based atmosphere show better mechanical properties but lower corrosion resistance than samples sintered in vacuum because of the precipitation of chromium carbides.