CORROSION OF

METALS AND ALLOYS

CHE
431
3 units

Course Instructors: Dr. Ayoola A.A.

Mr. Ogunbiyi A.T.

Mode of Assessment
Quiz
= 5%
Test
= 10%
Grp. Assig. = 15%
Cont. Ass.
30%
Exam.
70%
Total
100%
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COVENANT UNIVERSITY GEC 210

MODULES
Introduction
Principles of Corrosion
Forms of Corrosion
Corrosion Testing
Corrosion Control by Anodic &

Cathodic Protection
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COVENANT UNIVERSITY GEC 210

MODULES
Corrosion Control by Materials

Selection
Corrosion Control by Protective
Coating and Use of Inhibitors
Discussion
on
Group
Assignment
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COVENANT UNIVERSITY GEC 210

GROUP ASSIGNMENT
GROUP 1: Corrosion in Automobile
Industries.
GROUP 2: Corrosion in Chemical
Industries.
GROUP 3: Corrosion in Petroleum
Industries.
Hint: Discussion should centre around the mode of
operations, nature and effects of corrosion, and
remedies in a particular industry.
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COVENANT UNIVERSITY GEC 210

MODULE ONE:
INTRODUCTION
Corrosion: A Natural Process

FIGURE 1: The Corrosion Cycle of Iron

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Two major factors of Corrosion

Metal material and
An environment.

The corrosion behavior of a

material cannot be described unless

the environment in which the material
is exposed to is identified and
defined.
The corrosivity or aggressiveness
of an environment cannot be
described unless the material that is
to be exposed to that environment is
identified.
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WHAT IS CORROSION?

Corrosion can be defined as a

chemical or electrochemical reaction
between a
material, usually a metal, and its
environment that produces
deterioration
and alteration of the material and its
properties.
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The main factors used to describe

the environment are:
Physical state
Chemical composition
Temperature

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FORMS OF CORROSION
Uniform or General corrosion
Pitting corrosion
Crevice corrosion
Galvanic corrosion
Erosion corrosion
Intergranular corrosion
Dealloying
Environmentally assisted cracking
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Classification of Forms of Corrosion

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FACTORS INFLUENCING METAL

CORROSION
1. NATURE OF THE METAL

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FACTORS INFLUENCING METAL CORROSION

(Contd)

2. NATURE OF ENVIRONMENT

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Effects of Corrosion
Depletion (loss) of Resources: Human,
Energy, Materials and Capital
Economic Consequences of Corrosion include:
Replacement of corroded equipment
Overdesign to accommodate corrosion
Preventive maintenance
Shutdown of equipment or plants
Contamination of a product
Loss of efficiency
Loss of valuable products
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MODULE TWO:
PRINCIPLES OF CORROSION
THEORIES OF CORROSION
[1]

Direct Chemical Attack Theory

[2]

The Electrochemical Theory

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CORROSION REACTIONS

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Corrosion Reaction (Contd)

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Corrosion Reactions (Contd)

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Cathode Reactions

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Corrosion of metal surface

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Measurement of Corrosion Rate

Objectives of Corrosion rate

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Measurement of Corrosion Rate

[A] WEIGHT LOSS METHOD
[B] MICROSCOPIC
EXAMINATION
[C] MEASUREMENT OF
ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE
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MODULE THREE:
FORMS OF CORROSION
1. Uniform Corrosion:

uniform thinning over

the entire surface

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2. Pitting Corrosion:
characterised by sharply defined holes

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Crevice Corrosion:
This is a form of localized attack that occurs at narrow
openings or spaces (gaps) between metal-to-metal or
nonmetal-to-metal components.

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4. Galvanic Corrosion:
occurs when a metal or alloy is electrically coupled to
another metal or conducting nonmetal in the same
electrolyte.

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5. Erosion Corrosion:
Is the accelerated or increase in the rate of deterioration
or attack on a metal because of mechanical wear or
abrasive contributions in combination with corrosion.

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6. Intergranular Corrosion:
selective dissolution of grain boundaries, or closely

adjacent regions, without appreciable attack of the

grains themselves.
In addition to the presence of impurity atoms,

metals contain many atom vacancies, that is, sites

where atoms should be present but are not.

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7. Dealloying Corrosion:
is a corrosion process in which the more active metal is
selectively removed from an alloy, leaving behind a
porous weak deposit of the more active noble metal.
ALLOY

ENVIRONMENT

ELEMENT REMOVED

Brasses/Zinc

Water, especially stagnant

water

Zinc (dezincification)

Gray Iron

Soils, water

Iron (graphic orrosion)

Aluminium bronzes

Hydrofluoric acid, acids

containing chloride ions

Aluminium (dealuminification)

Silicon bronzes

High temperature steam and

acidic species

Silicon (desiliconification)

Copper nickels

High heat flux and low water

velocity (refinery condenser
tubes)

Nickel (denickelification)

Tin bronzes

Hot brine or steam

Tin (destannification)

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8. Stress Corrosion Cracking:

Stresses that causes cracking result from welding,
hammering, thermal treatment or applied loads during
service. In such cases, the metal under stress becomes
more anodic and tends to increase the rate of
corrosion.

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MODULE FOUR:
CORROSION TESTING
Purposes of Corrosion Testing

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Steps in a Corrosion Test Program

1. Define The Test Objectives

2.

Identify the Time And Cost/Budget

Contraints.
3. Select Test Methods And Procedures To Meet
Program Objectives.
4. Prepare Test Plan And Specimens.
5. Perform The Testing.
6. Evaluate The Specimen And The
Environment.
7. Analyse The Results
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Classification of Corrosion Testing

There are three general categories of
corrosion tests:
Laboratory Tests
Pilot plant Tests
Field Tests
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MODULE FIVE: CORROSION

CONTROL BYANODIC AND
CATHODIC PROTECTION

Anodic Protection
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Cathodic Protection
34

Cathodic Protection:
Cathodic protection is achieved

By connecting a corrodible anode to the

metal that is to be protected. This method is

called sacrificial protection or galvanic
protection
By applying an electric current from a

separate power source, a technique called

Impressed Current Cathodic protection.
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Cathodic Protection

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Cathodic Protection

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Cathodic Protection

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Anodic Protection
achieved by maintaining an active passive metal or

alloy in the passive region by an externally applied

anodic current. The potential of the metal to be
protected is made more positive to shift the
conditions from a region of active corrosion to a
region of passive behaviour.
Anodic protection is used to passivate storage tanks

and process vessels containing highly corrosive

electrolytes.
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Anodic Protection

A = Potential sensing device, B = Potential controller, C = DC power source,

D = Reference Electrode, E = Cathode, F = Tank (Anode)
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Advantages of Anodic Protection over

Cathodic Protection

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Disadvantages of Anodic Protection

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MODULE SIX: CORROSION

CONTROL BY MATERIALS
SELECTION
Selection of the optimal material of

construction for any component can be a

big money saver, but the selection
process is usually not straight forward.
The challenge of materials selection is
to achieve adequate performance at the
lowest possible cost.
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Materials Selection
[A] Requirements To Be Met
Properties
[corrosion,
mechanical,
physical,
appeareance]
Fabrication [ability to be formed, welded, machined]
Compatibility with existing equipment or fluids
Maintainability
Specification coverage
Availability of design data
Experience base with this or similar materials
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Materials Selection
[B] Selection Considerations
Expected total life of plant or process
Estimated service life of material
Reliability [safety and economic consequences of
failure]
Availability and delivery time
Need for further testing
Material costs
Fabrication costs
Maintenance and inspection costs
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Information on Estimating Corrosion

Performance
[A] Corrodent Variables
Environment type [marine, industrial, internal fluid
etc]
Main constituents [identity and amount]
Temperature
pH
Degree of aeration
Velocity or agitation
Pressure
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Information on Estimating
Corrosion Performance
[B] Mechanism Of Reaction With Fluids
Catalytic reaction [catalytic decomposition of fluid]
Fluid degradation [reactions in which the physical or

chemical characteristics of the fluid are altered]

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Information on Estimating
Corrosion Performance
[C] Type Of Application
What is the function of part or equipment?
Are size change, appearance or corrosion product
problem?
What effect will localized corrosion have on usefulness?
Will there be stresses present?
Is design compatible with the corrosion characteristics of
the materials?
What is the desired service life?
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Information on Estimating
Corrosion Performance
[D] Experience
Has material been used in an identical situation?
What were the results?
Has material been used in a similar situation? What
was the performance?
Was there any pilot experience?
Are there any plant corrosion test data?
What literature or database information is available?
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What to consider before selecting

materials

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Materials commonly used

Metallic materials:
[A] STAINLESS STEELS
Martensitic types
Ferritic types
Duplex (Ferritic-Austenitic) types
Precipitation-Hardening types
Austentic types
[B] NICKEL AND NICKEL ALLOYS

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Materials commonly used

Non Metallic materials:
[A] PLASTICS
[B] CERAMICS
[C] CONCRETE
[D] WOOD

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MODULE SEVEN: CORROSION

CONTROL BY PROTECTIVE
COATING AND INHIBITORS
COATINGS
Organic coatings [paints and plastic or
rubber linings]
Metallic coatings
Non - metallic inorganic coatings
[cements, ceramics, glasses].
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COATING
Coatings and lining may protect
metals/alloys
through
three
basic
mechanisms:
Barrier protection
Chemical inhibition
Galvanic (sacrificial) protection
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INHIBITORS
An inhibitor is a chemical substance or
combination of substances that, when
present in the environment, prevents or
reduces corrosion without significant
reaction with the components of the
environment.

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Types of Inhibitors
Commonly used inhibitors are:
Anodic
Cathodic
Ohmic
Precipitation
Vapour phase
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Application of Inhibitors
Inhibitor application techniques include:
Continuous injection
Batch treatment and
Incorporation of inhibitors into
protective coatings or primers.

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CORROSION IN AUTOMOBILE,
CHEMICAL AND PETROLEUM
INDUSTRIES

TERM PAPER
AND DISCUSSION
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