Cathodic Polarization Behavior of Rusted Carbon Steels Exposed to Atmospheric Environment for Different Duration

摘要

Carbon steel is most commonly employed as a structural material for infrastructures due to its superior mechanical strength as well as low cost. However, as carbon steel corrodes in atmospheric environment, improvement in corrosion resistance is required for steel infrastructures. It is well-known that during wet/dry cycle in atmospheric environment, the reduction reactions of rust on carbon steel as well as the oxygen reduction on rusted steel occur as cathodic reaction, affecting an anodic dissolution of underlying steel. Although the chemical composition and structure of rust layers on carbon steel have been extensively studied, the reduction reactions have not been focused. In this study, we have investigated reduction reactions on rusted carbon steels.