CORROSION

Engineering Material Class

Monday, 25 September 2006

REFERENCES
Chandler, H., Metallurgy for the Non Metallurgist, ASM,
Ohio, 1998. (1 copy in Student Design Facility)
Fontana, M. G., Corrosion Engineering, 3rd ed., McGraw-
Hill, Singapore, 1987. (3 copies in Petra library)
ASM Handbook volume 13: Corrosion, ASM, Ohio, 1987.
(reference book in Petra library)
Roberge, P. R., Handbook of Corrosion Engineering,
McGraw-Hill, New York, 2000. (1 copy in Student Design
Facility)
Jones, D. A., Principles and Prevention of Corrosion, 2nd
ed., Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1996.
 THE COST OF CORROSION
Country Year Cost# % GNP
Economic
India 1961 1.54*109 -
Corrosion represents a constant
Germany 1969 19*109 3.5
charge to a nations GNP in
United 1970 1.36*109 3.5
the order of 3-5%. Kingdom
Australia 1973 470*109 1.5
Japan 1974 2.55*109 3.5
United 1975 82*109 4.9
States 1985 150*109 -
Human Life and 1990 180*109 -
Safety 2002 300*109
Indonesia 1986 109 1
COST OF CORROSION - Economic
Corrosion of bridges they age and require
replacement
A report by the New York department of transport: by 2010, 95% of all
New York bridges would be deficient if maintenance remained at the
same level as it was in 1981.
Corrosion in chemical company
Corrosion in paper industry
Corrosion in oil industry
Corrosion of automobiles - fuel systems,
radiators, exhaust systems, and bodies
 Indirect Costs
Some of the more important sources of indirect
costs :
Plant Downtime
Loss of Product
Loss of efficiency
Contamination
Overdesign
 DEFINITION OF CORROSION
The destruction or deterioration of a material because of reaction
with its environment. (Fontana)
The destructive result of chemical reaction between a metal or metal
alloy and its environment. (Jones)

CORROSION SCIENCE is the study of the chemical and metallurgical

processes that occur during corrosion.

CORROSION ENGINEERING is the design and application of methods

to prevent corrosion.

Ideally SCIENCE + ENGINEERING = to invent new and better

methods of prevention and apply existing methods more intelligently
and effectively.
 ENVIRONMENT
Practically all environments are corrosive to some
degree.
Air and moisture
Fresh,distilled, salt and mined water
Rural, urban and industrial atmospheres
Steam and other gases such as chlorine,
ammonia,hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, and
fuel gases.
In general, the inorganic materials are more
corrosive than the organic.
Corrosion as Extractive Metallurgy
in Reverse
 Factor affecting choice of an
engineering material
Corrosion resistance
Cost
Appearance
Fabricability
Mechanical behaviour
Availability
 Factors affecting corrosion
resistance of a metal
Thermodynamics and electrochemistry :
understanding and controlling corrosion.
Metallurgical factors
Physical chemistry: for studying
mechanism of corrosion reactions, surface
condition of metals, and other basic
properties.
 Electrochemical Aspects

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of metal M dissolution, liberating into solution a metal ion
M2+ and into the metal electrons, e-, which are consumed by reduction of H+ to H2.
 FORMS OF CORROSION
Classification based on the appearance of
the corroded metal.
Can be identified by naked eye or
magnification.
Examination before cleaning is particularly
desirable.

See various forms of corrosion pictured shematically in the acetate film

 Forms of Corrosion
Characteristics Mechanisms Preventive Measures

Some of the 8 forms of corrosion are unique, but all

of them are more or less interrelated.
Uniform corrosion
Galvanic, or two-metal corrosion
Crevice corrosion
Pitting
Intergranular corrosion
Selective leaching or parting
Erosion corrosion
Stress corrosion
 UNIFORM CORROSION
The most common form of corrosion.
A uniform, regular removal of metal from the
entire exposed surface.
- Metal ? -
- Environment ? -
The metal becomes thinner and eventually fails.
Represents the greatest destruction of metal on
a tonnage basis.
The life of equipment can be accurately
estimated on the basis of comparatively simple
tests.
Examples of Uniform Corrosion
Steel or zinc in dilute H2SO4
Atmospheric corrosion : a sheet iron roof
Carbon steel storage tank for sour (H 2S-
containing) crude oil after only two years
of service.
Uniform attack can be prevented or
reduced by
Proper materials including coatings
Inhibitors
Cathodic Protection
 Galvanic Corrosion
Two dissimilar metals are coupled in the
presence of corrosive solution.
There is a potential difference the less
resistant metal becomes anodic and the more
resistant metal cathodic.
The driving force for current and corrosion is the
potential developed between the two metals.
Dry-cell battery is an example of this type of
corrosion.
Prevention of Galvanic Corrosion
Select combinations of metals as close together as
possible in the galvanic series.
Avoid the unfavourable area effect of a small anode and
large cathode.
Insulate dissimilar metals wherever practicable.
Apply coatings with caution.
Add inhibitors.
Avoid threaded joints for materials far apart in the series.
Design for the use of readily replaceable anodic parts or
make them thicker for longer life.
Install a third metal that is anodic to both metals in the
galvanic contact.
 CREVICE CORROSION
Localised forms of attack that
result in relatively rapid
penetration at small discrete
areas.
Location : within crevices and
other shielded areas on metal
surfaces exposed to corrosives
(small volumes of stagnant
solution) caused by :
- Holes
- Gasket surfaces
- Lap joints
Stainless steel bolt (bottom) inappropriately used
- Surface deposits in seawater after a five year exposure. (photo
- Crevices under bolt and rivet copyright 2000 by George Dinwiddie, used
heads by permission of www.alberg30.org)
- Wet packing materials
Cases of CREVICE CORROSION
 Environmental Factors Crevice
Corrosion
Deposits that may To function as a
produce crevice corrosion site, a
corrosion: crevice must be wide
- sand, dirt, corrosion enough to permit
products (permeable), liquid entry but
and other solids. sufficiently narrow to
maintain a stagnant
zone.
 PITTING
A form of extremely localised
attack that results in holes in
the metal.
Holes small or large in
diameter, in most cases are
relatively small.
Pitting is unpredictable,
especially in conditions
forming deep pits.
Difficult to detect pits because
of their small size and because
of the pits often covered with
corrosion products.
The rate is variable, depending
on uncertain migration of
corrodents into and out of the
pit.
Difficult to predict quantitatively
and by laboratory tests :
- Varying depths and number of
pits.
- Sometimes the pits require a
long time several months or
a year to show up in actual
service.
 Prevention
Similar methods as suggested for
combating crevice corrosion.
Addition of 2% Mo to 18-8S (type 304) to
produce 18-8SMo (type 316) results in a
very large increase in resistance to pitting.
To use materials that are known not to pit
in the environment under consideration:
hastelloy and titanium.
Adding inhibitors.
 Effects of Metallurgical Structure on
Corrosion
Intergranular corrosion of
austenitic stainless steels:
When heat treatments
deplete the g.b. of Cr by
metallurgical reaction with
C (in the temp. range 425-
815oC). In that temp.
range, chromium carbides
(Cr23C6) are insoluble and
precipitates at g.b.
What is the influence of Ni
and Mo ?
Control for Austenitic Stainless Steels

Employing high-temperature solution heat

treatment (quench-annealing or solution-
quenching).

Adding elements (stabilisers) that are strong

carbide formers.

Lowering the carbon content to below 0.03%.

 SELECTIVE LEACHING
The removal of one
element from a solid
alloy by corrosion
processes.
That element is more
susceptible to corrosion Uniform dezincification layer type
than the rest, more (favour the high brasses/high Zn content)
active electrochemically
and are anodically
dissolved in galvanic
contact with the more
noble elements. Localised dezincification plug type
(favour the low brasses/low Zn content)
 Prevention
Reducing the aggressiveness of the
environment (i.e. oxygen removal)
Cathodic protection
Use less susceptible material:
- 15% Zn (red brass)
- Addition 1% Sn to a 70-30 brass (admiralty
metal)
- Addition of As, Sb, P as inhibitor (70%Cu, 29%
Zn, 1% Sn, 0.04% As)
- Cupronickel (70-90%Cu, 30-10%Ni) for severely
corrosive environments.
EROSION CORROSION
Thinning or removal of surface
films by erosion from the flowing
stream results in accelerated
corrosion, called errosion
corrosion or impingement attack.
The attack is accelerated at
elbows, turbines, pumps, tube
constrictions, and other
structural features that alter flow
direction or velocity and increase
turbulence (agitator, blowers,
propellers, turbine blades, etc.)
Corrosive mediums: gases,
aqueous solutions, organic
systems, and liquid metals.
Appears as grooves, gullies,
waves, rounded holes, and
valleys.
CASES OF IMPINGEMENT
Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)
Conditions to produce SCC

Critical environment
A susceptible alloy
Some component of
tensile stress