Corrosion

Introduction
 Introduction
• Metallic bond – within the material metal ions
are completely surrounded by like ions
• This is not the case at the surface
• causes a surface instability
• corrosion
• the deterioration of metals resulting from this
instability
 Corrosion

Corrosion is the deterioration of materials

by chemical or electrochemical interaction
with their environment.
 Corrosion: Metallurgy in Reverse

Fontana, M.G., Corrosion Engineering. 3rd ed. 1986, New York: McGraw-Hill.
 Types of Corrosion
• Two types:
• Dry Corrosion
• Wet Corrosion
 Dry Corrosion
• Direct chemical combination – Metals combine
directly with gases such as oxygen, chlorine, sulphur
dioxide and carbon dioxide
• In an environment containing oxygen – covalent
bonds are formed between metals and oxygen at the
surface
• Slow process at normal temperatures – rate of
corrosion increases with increased temperature
 Dry Corrosion
• Dry atmospheres allow steel components to
last for many years
• Rate restricted by the difficulty in the gas
reaching the underlying metal atoms
• Rate of oxidation reduces with time - and
destruction ceases
 Free Energy
• The free energy of the system is reduced by
oxidation
• Therefore as a consequence almost all metals
should revert to their oxides, especially at high
temperature
M + O  MO
Oxide
 Wet Corrosion
• Electrochemical corrosion
• Oxygen may assist the process
• Results mainly from a tendency of metals to ionize
(dissolve) when placed in water or an aqueous
environment
 Corrosion Requisite
• Requires:
– Two different metals (electrodes)
– Immersed in current-carrying solution (electrolyte)
– Interconnected by a current-carrying conductor
 Corrosion Requisite
• Electrochemical Corrosion:

Anode
Cathode
Electrolyte
Oxygen
 Electrolytic Corrosion

At the cathode: Reaction depends upon the ions

present in the solution and pH

1. Acid solution (pH < 7)

2H+ + 2e-  H2
In From Hydrogen
solution metal gas
 Electrolytic Corrosion
2. Neutral or alkaline (pH  7)

H2O + 1/2O2 + 2e-  2OH-

From Hydroxyl
cathode ions
 Electrolytic Corrosion

Anode Fe

Cathode Cu
Electrolyte

At the anode: M  M+ + e-
Surface Positive Electron
metal metal remains
atom ion on metal
 Table of Electrode Potentials

Metal Electrode Potential (V)

Magnesium -2.40 (Anodic – more active)
Aluminium -1.76 CORRODED END
Zinc -0.76
Chromium -0.65
Iron -0.44
Nickel -0.23
Tin -0.14
Lead -0.12
Hydrogen (REF) 0.00
Copper +0.34
Silver +0.80 PROTECTED END
Gold +1.40 (Cathodic – more noble)
 Different Metals in Contact
• Corrosion occurs due to differences in
electrode potential
• Electrons flow from iron to copper
• Iron is termed the anode
• Copper does not corrode and is termed
cathode
 Different Metals in Contact
• In electrolytic corrosion the metal with
the higher position in the table will
corrode
• The situation is made worse if:
a.) anode area is small compared to cathode
b.) salts are present (additional ions)
c.) temperature is raised
Anodic and Cathodic Reactions
 Effects of Corrosion

Losses are economic and safety:

• Reduced Strength
• Downtime of equipment
• Escape of fluids
• Lost surface properties
• Reduced value of goods
 Underground Corrosion

Buried gas or water supply pipes can suffer

severe corrosion which is not detected until
an actual leakage occurs, by which time
considerable damage may be done.
 Safety of Aircraft

The lower edge of aircraft skin panel has

suffered corrosion due to leakage and spillage of
water. Any failure of a structural component of
an aircraft can lead to the most serious results.
 Electronic Components

It is very important that there should be no raised

resistance at low current connections. Corrosion products
can cause such damage and can also have sufficient
conductance to cause short circuits. These are resistors
form part of a radar installation.
 Corrosion Influenced by Flow

The cast iron pump impeller suffered attack when

acid accidentally entered the water that was being
pumped. The high velocities in the pump
accentuated the corrosion damage.
 Motor Vehicle Corrosion and
Safety

The safety problems associated with corrosion of

motor vehicles is illustrated by the holes around the
filler pipe of this petrol tank. The danger of petrol
leakage is obvious. Mud and dirt thrown up from the
road can retain salt and water for prolonged periods,
forming a corrosive “wrapping”.
 Corrosion at Sea

Sea water is a highly corrosive electrolyte

towards mild steel. The ship suffers severe
damage in the areas which are most pounded by
waves, where the protective coating of paint has
been largely removed by mechanical action.
 Aluminium Corrosion
The current trend
for aluminium
vehicles is not
without problems.
This aluminium alloy
shows very
advanced corrosion
due to contact with
road salt.
 Damage due to Pressure of
Expanding Rust

A small amount of
corrosion leads to
bulky rust formation
which exerts a
pressure and causes
the concrete to crack.
 Galvanic Corrosion

This rainwater drain is made of aluminium and

would normally resist corrosion well. Someone
tied a copper wire around it, and the localized
bimetallic cell led to a “knife-cut” effect.
 Galvanic Corrosion

The tubing of an aircraft’s hydraulic system is an

aluminium alloy part and to prevent bimetallic galvanic
corrosion due to contact with the copper alloy retaining
nut this was cadmium plated. The plating was not applied
to an adequate thickness and pitting corrosion resulted.
 Galvanic Corrosion

This polished
Aluminium rim was left
over road salt and
mud. Galvanic
corrosion has started
between the chromium
plated brass spoke and
the aluminium rim.
 Galvanic Corrosion

Galvanic corrosion
underneath the tyre
in bicycles is so
advanced it has
penetrated the rim
thickness.
 Aloha Incident-1988

19-year old Boeing 737 operated by Aloha Airlines lost a

major portion of the upper fuselage in full flight at 24000 ft
Aloha Incident-1988
Flow Accelerated Corrosion-2004

Carbon steel piping rupture caused by flow

accelerated corrosion at Mihama-3 Nuclear
Power Plant, Tokyo
 Nuclear Reactor with a Hole in the
Head-2002

In Davis–Besse nuclear plant, Ohio, the reactor vessel head is the

dome-shaped upper portion of the carbon steel. Because the
water cooling the reactor contains boric acid, which is highly
corrosive to carbon steel, the entire inner surface of the reactor
vessel is covered with 0.6-mm thick stainless steel.
 So……Why Study Corrosion?
• Materials are precious resources
• Engineering design is incomplete without
knowledge of corrosion
• Applying corrosion protection can minimize
disasters
• Corrosion – contaminate products such as
pharmaceutical, food and dairy products
• Corrosion products – threat to the environment
• Artificial implants for the human body!
Distribution of Disciplines in which
Corrosion Engineers have
Graduated
So .. What would be expected from
a Corrosion Engineer?
• Ensuring maximum life of new equipment
• Preservation of existing equipment
• Protecting or improving the quality of a product
• Avoiding overdesign
• Reducing losses of valuable products by spillage
• Refitting of corroded equipment
• Reducing corrosion hazards to life and property:
– Explosions of pressure vessels or piping systems
– release of poisonous or explosive gases or vapors