acid (H2CrO4) which is characterized by a very high dissociation
constant (KdD0.2). Hence, deposition of CrO4
2-
complexes during the formation of the oxide layer on stainless
steel 316 L is highly probable. However, Atrens et al.
[12] have shown that Cr6C is highly soluble and can be easily
removed from the passive film surface by rinsing the
substrate in water. In our case, the Cr6C species may remain
bound on the surface due to insufficient water rinsing.