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2025 Vol.35, Issue 10 Preview Page

Research Paper

Effect of Cl2 Gas Exposure on the Surface Properties of Electropolished STS316L
Donhee Lee1
,
Du Hong Kang1
,
Poongyeon Kim1
,
Deokhyun Han2
,
Man-Sik Kong2
,
Si Young Chang1†
1Department of Material Science and Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, Goyang 10540, Republic of Korea
2Center for Advanced Materials and Processing, Institute for Advanced Engineering, Youngin 17180, Republic of Korea
†Corresponding author E-Mail : sychang@kau.ac.kr (S. Y. Chang, KAU)
27 October 2025. pp. 473-478
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Abstract

In this study, the surface characteristics—including roughness, oxide layer thickness, and composition—of the electropolished layer on STS316L steel tubes subjected to double melting via the VIM/VAR process were investigated after exposure to Cl2 gas. The tubes were exposed to Cl2 gas for 1 to 13 d to simulate semiconductor conditions. Surface roughness increased with Cl2 exposure time, showing values of 0.01, 0.04, 0.04 and 0.03 µm after 0, 1, 5 and 9 d, respectively. At the same time, the oxide layer thickness on EPed STS316L, which was initially 8.2 nm, decreased to 3.18, 2.58 after 1, 5 d of Cl2 exposure, approaching the initial thickness of 2.38 nm observed on non-EPed STS316L. After 9 d, the thickness further decreased to 0.51 nm, with no significant change was observed thereafter. Before Cl2 exposure, the CrO/FeO ratio was 2.26. After 1, 5, and 9 d of exposure, the ratio decreased to 2.06, 1.75, and 1.27, respectively. In addition, the penetration depth of Cl into the oxide layer increased with longer exposure time. These results suggest that the formation of chromium chlorides led to the breakdown of the stable Cr2O3 layer.

Keywords
double melting
electrolytic polishing
STS316L
surface properties
Cl2 gas
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Information
  • Publisher :Materials Research Society of Korea
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국재료학회
  • Journal Title :Korean Journal of Materials Research
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국재료학회지
  • Volume : 35
  • No :10
  • Pages :473-478
  • Received Date : 2025-08-25
  • Revised Date : 2025-09-11
  • Accepted Date : 2025-09-11
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.3740/MRSK.2025.35.10.473
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