Revealing the beneficial effect and mechanism of rare earth La on the corrosion resistance of weathering steels

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2025.07.015

Abstract

Abstract: In this study, a weathering steel with good strength-toughness and superior corrosion resistance was manufactured by La microalloying. Cyclic immersion corrosion test, combined with XPS, FIB/TEM, and corrosion big data monitoring, was employed to clarify the beneficial effect and underlying mechanism of La on corrosion resistance. Results revealed that minor La addition can remarkably improve the corrosion resistance of weathering steels through α-FeOOH and La₂O₃ formation. It can also evidently alleviate localized corrosion tendency. The anti-corrosion mechanism of La microalloying was proposed. The obtained result could provide a strategy for designing low-alloy steels with superior mechanical properties and corrosion resistance.

Key words: Rare earth elements, Lanthanum, Weathering steels, Wet/dry cyclic corrosion, Corrosion big data monitoring

Hongchi Ma, Jingwen Tian, Cuiping Lu, Yanhong Li, Zhong Li, Zhiyong Liu, Cuiwei Du, Xuequn Cheng, Xiaogang Li. Revealing the beneficial effect and mechanism of rare earth La on the corrosion resistance of weathering steels[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2026, 252: 283-300.

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