The characteristics of corrosion resistance for the surface of medium high carbon steels and low alloy steels utilizing as manufacturing the machinery structures and machining tools and treating by plasma/ion nitriding process have been studied in terms of electrochemical polarization behav-iors including corrosion potential(Ecorr) anodic polarization trends and polarization resistance(Rp) The seven base materials showed a clear passivation behavior for the polarization tests in the ASTM standard solution 1N ${H_2){SO_4}$ Although the treated surface by plasma nitriding for the seven test materials showed a significant increase in hardness the treatment gave a detri-mental effect in corrosion resistance. The various characteristics including corrosion potential polarization curves microstructures corrosion current polarization resistance among non-treat-ed nitriding and/or soft-nitriding treated specimens have been investigated and some of the mechanisms discussed.