Uncertainty studies of topographical measurements on steel surface corrosion by 3D scanning electron microscopy

Pitting corrosion is a damage mechanism quite serious and dangerous in both carbon steel boiler tubes for power plants which are vital to most industries and stainless steels for orthopedic human implants whose demand, due to the increase of life expectation and rate of traffic accidents, has sharply increased. Reliable methods to characterize this kind of damage are becoming increasingly necessary, when trying to evaluate the advance of damage and to establish the best procedures for component inspection in order to determine remaining lives and failure mitigation. A study about the uncertainties on the topographies of corrosion pits from 3D SEM images, obtained at low magnifications (where errors are greater) and different stage tilt angles were carried out using an in-house software previously developed. Additionally, measurements of pit depths on biomaterial surfaces, subjected to two different surface treatments on stainless steels, were carried out. The different depth distributions observed were in agreement with electrochemical measurements.