Effect of the Depth of the Solution Layer on the Atmospheric Corrosion of Carbon Steel

Atmospheric corrosion occurs under alternate cycles in presence and absence of an electrolyte layer, the severity of corrosion processes that occur onto the metallic surface depends largely on the corrosive environment to which the material is exposed. Whereas the corrosive phenomena occur in the presence of the electrolyte, in this work the effect of the depth of the solution layer on the electrochemical behavior of carbon steel was determined. Three different corrosive media were employed to simulate the effect of coastal and rural environments. The results showed a strong dependence of the corrosion rate of carbon steel with the depth of the solution layer. Corrosive events on the material are governed by diffusion processes of species from the bulk solution to the steel surface.