Assignment 2

Types of Corrosion
Aviral Jain CE10B011
Two types of Corrosion

1. Galvanic Corrosion
Galvanic corrosion occurs when two different metals (alloys) are in
electrical contact in an electrolyte. Nobler element is protected and more
active element corrodes at higher rate. Galvanic corrosion, resulting
from a metal contacting an-other conducting material in a corrosive
medium, is one of the most common types of corrosion. It may be found
at the junction of a water main, where a copper pipe meets a steel pipe,
or in a microelectronic device, where different metals and
semiconductors are placed together, or in a metal matrix composite
material in which reinforcing materials, such as graphite, are dispersed
in a metal, or on a ship, where the various components immersed in
water are made of different metal alloys.

2. Crevice Corrosion
Localized corrosion resulting from a concentration difference b/w the
electrolyte within the crevice and the electrolyte outside the crevice
due to stagnation of electrolyte. Possible concentration difference in
O
2,
H+ (acidity), Cl
-
.


3. Pitting Corrosion
Rapid corrosion penetration at small discrete areas where passive film
breaks down and appears as small diameter holes (0.1-5 mm). The
remaining surface is not attacked. Pitting corrosion is common in
passive metals above pitting potential (Ep).
4. Intergranular Corrosion
This is preferential attack of the grain boundaries of the crystals that
form the metal. It is caused by the physical and chemical differences
between the centres and edges of the grain.
5. Selective leaching
Corrosion in which one constituent of an alloy is preferentially removed,
leaving behind an altered (weakened) residual structure.
6. Erosion Corrosion
An increase in corrosion brought about by a high relative velocity
between the corrosive environment and the surface. Removal of the
metal may be:
As corrosion product which "spalls off" the surface because of the high
fluid shear and bares the metal beneath;
As metal ions, which are swept away by the fluid flow before they can
deposit as corrosion product.
7. Stress Corrosion
Stress corrosion cracking is cracking due to a process involving conjoint
corrosion and straining of a metal due to residual or applied stresses.
Crevice Corrosion
Crevice corrosion is a type of localized corrosion that occurs in the
small gap between two pieces of overlapping metal. Crevice
corrosion could be general corrosion, pitting corrosion or both.
This form of attack is generally associated with the presence of small
volumes of stagnant solution in occluded interstices, beneath
deposits and seals, or in crevices, e.g. at nuts and rivet heads.
Deposits of sand, dust, scale and corrosion products can all create
zones where the liquid can only be renewed with great difficulty. This
is also the case for flexible, porous or fibrous seals (wood, plastic,
rubber, cements, asbestos, cloth, etc.)

Crevice corrosion is encountered particularly in metals and alloys
which owe their resistance to the stability of a passive film, since
these films are unstable in the presence of high concentrations of Cl
-
and H
+
ions.

The basic mechanism underlying crevice corrosion in passivatable
alloys exposed to aerated chloride-rich media is gradual
acidification of the solution inside the crevice, leading to the
appearance of highly aggressive local conditions that destroy the
passivity. In an interstice, convection in the liquid is strongly impeded
and the dissolved oxygen is locally rapidly exhausted. A few seconds
are sufficient to create a "differential aeration cell" between the
small de-aerated interstice and the aerated remainder of the
surface. However, "galvanic" corrosion between these two zones
remains inactive.
As dissolution of the metal M continues, an excess of Mn
+
ions is
created in the crevice, which can only be compensated by electro-
migration of the Cl
-
ions (more numerous in a chloride-rich medium
and more mobile than OH
-
ions). Most metallic chlorides hydrolyze,
and this is particularly true for the elements in stainless steels and
aluminum alloys. The acidity in the crevice increases (pH 1-3) as well
as the Cl
-
ion concentration (up to several times the mean value in
the solution). The dissolution reaction in the crevice is then promoted
and the oxygen reduction reaction becomes localized on the
external surfaces close to the crevice. This "autocatalytic" process
accelerates rapidly, even if several days or weeks were necessary to
get it under way.
Means of preventing or limiting crevice corrosion : Use welds rather
than bolted or riveted joints, design installations to enable complete
draining (no corners or stagnant zones), hydrofuge any interstices
that cannot be eliminated, and in particular, grease all seals and
seal planes, use only solid, non-porous seals, etc.

Microbially induced Corrosion (MIC)
Microbial corrosion, also called bacterial corrosion, bio-corrosion,
microbiologically influenced corrosion, or microbially induced
corrosion (MIC), is corrosion caused or promoted by microorganisms,
usually chemoautotrophs. It can apply to both metals and non-
metallic materials. Studies have implicated various organisms in
microbial induced corrosion including, iron oxidizing bacteria such
as Gallionella, Leptothrix (and related genera) and Thiobacillus (and
relatives) as well as sulfate reducing bacteria such
as Desulfobacter (and relatives).
There are biological organisms (microbes) which influence corrosion.
The primary, and to many, the only concern is that this "influence"
often results in an extremely accelerated rate of corrosion. It affects
most alloys, such as ductile iron, steel (including stainless and
galvanized), and copper, but it doesn't seem to affect titanium. The
affect does vary between the different alloys with ductile iron
corroding slower than steel. There was also a case where MIC
caused the water in copper pipe to turn blue.
MIC is not caused by a single microbe, but is attributed to many
different microbes. These are often categorized by common
characteristics such as by-products (i.e., sludge producing) or
compounds they effect (i.e. sulfur oxidizing). In a general sense, they
all fall into one of two groups based upon their oxygen requirements;
one being aerobic (requires oxygen) such as sulfur oxidizing
bacteria, and the other being anaerobic, (requires little or no
oxygen), such as sulfate reducing bacteria.
General corrosion affects the entire surface or at least the wetted
surface. MIC, on the other hand, is very localized. It creates a nodule
and a pit beneath the nodule. There can be only a few nodules or
there can be many. Within these nodules microbes rarely work alone
but operate as a mixed community of differing types and groups.
The different microbes perform different functions within the
community. This interaction allows a community to thrive in
environments that are actually hostile to some of its members. For
example, in an aerobic environment, anaerobic bacteria are
generally inhibited or killed. But within a community the aerobic
bacteria reside in the outer layer of the nodule consuming the
oxygen in the water as it penetrates the nodule. Thus, the inner
portion of the nodule experiences a reduced oxygen level allowing
anaerobic bacteria to thrive.
How MIC Works
As already identified, MIC operates as an individual nodule covering
a pit. The development of this process occurs in three phases, which
are:
Attachment of microbes.
Growth of nodule and initial pit.
Mature pit and nodule.

Phase One is depicted by Figure 1. Obviously, for MIC to occur the
microbes must be introduced into the sprinkler system. Even though
a nodule can contain many different bacteria, they do not
necessarily arrive and/or thrive simultaneously. In order for microbes
to attach themselves to the inner wall of the pipe, the bacteria must
find a desirable site. Such sites are defined as containing absorbed
nutrients and having a metallurgical feature that the microbes can
attach to. These features seem to be critical for MIC to occur and
consist of irregularities in the pipe surface such as from welded
connection, pipe seams, pre-existing corrosion, inclusions, etc.

After successfully attaching to a location, Phase Two starts. As shown
in Figure 2, a lot occurs at this stage. (Actually, only a fraction of the
activity is shown, since there can be an immense amount of
chemical interaction occurring). Among the microbe's by-products
are sticky polymers which retain organic and inorganic materials
aiding in the creation of the nodule. Once the nodule is formed, it
allows the underlying conditions to become chemically dissimilar to
the surrounding surface. This is the start of accelerated corrosion,
which initially leads to crevice corrosion. Some of the characteristics
of the community at this phase are: microbes are located
throughout the nodule and the pH level is lowered (acidic) within the
crevice, but it is still above 4. This lower pH adds to the corrosiveness
of the environment, as well as stimulating the growth of certain types
of bacteria. The increased acidic level is commonly initiated by
acid-producing bacteria which produce organic acids as a by-
product. This acid provides a nutrient source for other bacteria
whose by-product results in a buildup of hydrogen protons and an
even lower pH level.

In the final phase, as depicted by Figure 3, there is continued
formation of the nodule over a mature pit. Such a pit not only
increases in depth but also produces a tunneling characteristic. A
significant condition is that the pH is less than 4. One of the factors
which can contribute to the high acidic level is the weak organic
acids discussed in Phase Two. These can be converted to a stronger
acid by combining with chloride from the water, thus producing
hydrochloric acid. As a result of the high acidity in the pit area, live
bacteria are present only in the outer portion of the nodule. At this
point, the bacteria could be eliminated and the corrosion would
continue as a traditional electrochemical corrosion process.
Because of a better understanding of the final phase, whereby the
presence of the bacteria is not required, the name was changed
from microbiological "induced" corrosion to microbiological
"influenced" corrosion.
Hydrogen Embrittlement
Hydrogen embrittlement is a physical-chemical-metallurgical
phenomenon. It is developed by chemical interaction and diffusion
in the metal. Depending on the metallurgical nature of the substrate
where it takes place may cause critical changes in the capacity of
load transmission of the elements under stress. This can lead to
catastrophic fracture at lower loads which supports the material
under normal conditions.
Even if this phenomenon takes place preferentially in carbon or low-
alloy, other metals and alloys are susceptible to this kind of damage.
The hydrogen embrittlement phenomena, in whatever their form of
expression, severely restricts the applicability of certain materials. The
interaction between hydrogen and metals, can lead to the
formation in the metal of solid solution of hydrogen, molecular
hydrogen and gaseous products formed by the reaction between
hydrogen and the constitutive metals of the alloy.
The embrittlement of of metal or alloy by atomic hydrogen involves
the ingress of hydrogen into a component, an event that can
seriously reduce the ductility and load-bearing capacity, cause
cracking and catastrophic brittle failures at stresses below the yield
stress of susceptible materials. Hydrogen embrittlement occurs in a
number of forms but the common features are an applied tensile
stress and hydrogen dissolved in the metal.
Examples of hydrogen embrittlement are cracking of weldments or
hardened steels when exposed to conditions which inject hydrogen
into the component. Presently this phenomenon is not completely
understood and hydrogen embrittlement detection, in particular,
seems to be one of the most difficult aspects of the problem.
Hydrogen embrittlement does not affect all metallic materials
equally. The most vulnerable are high-strength steels, titanium alloys
and aluminum alloys.
Sources of Hydrogen
Sources of hydrogen causing embrittlement have been
encountered in the making of steel, in processing parts, in welding, in
storage or containment of hydrogen gas, and related to hydrogen
as a contaminant in the environment that is often a by-product of
general corrosion. It is the latter that concerns the nuclear industry.
Hydrogen may be produced by corrosion reactions such as rusting,
cathodic protection, and electroplating. Hydrogen may also be
added to reactor coolant to remove oxygen from reactor coolant
systems. Hydrogen entry, the obvious pre-requisite of embrittlement,
can be facilitated in a number of ways summarized below:
a. by some manufacturing operations such as welding,
electroplating, phosphating and pickling; if a material subject
to such operations is susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement
then a final, baking heat treatment to expel any hydrogen is
employed
b. as a by-product of a corrosion reaction such as in
circumstances when the hydrogen production reaction acts as
the cathodic reaction since some of the hydrogen produced
may enter the metal in atomic form rather than be all evolved
as a gas into the surrounding environment. In this situation,
cracking failures can often be thought of as a type of stress
corrosion cracking. If the presence of hydrogen sulfide causes
entry of hydrogen into the component, the cracking
phenomenon is often termed sulphide stress cracking (SSC)
c. The use of cathodic protection for corrosion protection if the
process is not properly controlled.



References
http://corrosion-doctors.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_embrittlement
http://microbedetectives.com
http://www.firesprinkler.org/techservices
http://www.cdcorrosion.com/mode_corrosion