Toughness of SAE 1020 Steel with and without Galvanization Exposed to Different Corrosive Environments in Chile

摘要

In this study, SAE 1020 steel Charpys samples, with and without galvanization, were exposed to alarge variety of environmental conditions throughout Chile in order to ascertain the degree of- deterioration due to environmental corrosion. The levels of Cl , SO2 and time of wetness were alsoregistered in order to be able to correlate the data with respect to corrosion rate with the environmentaland meteorological parameters. Calculations of corrosion rates were made via loss of weight andanalysis of surface deterioration using scanning electron microscopy. After different exposure periodsup to 33 months, the samples were tested and analyzed. According to the results, the toughness of thesteel without galvanization can vary from 70 to 10 J; this variation reveals a dramatic change ofproperty that is as much a function of the different atmospheres as of the exposure time. In comparisonto the non-galvanized steel, the galvanized has a lower initial toughness, but it remains more constantover time, maintaining a range of 20 to 7 J.