This study is to investigate the atmospheric corrosion behaviors of carbon steel, weathering steel, and hot-dip galvanized carbon steel in various environments for almost 10 years. The experimental methods included actual exposure tests and analyses of corrosion products by SEM/EDS and XRD. The results revealed that, in industrial, coastal, and rural areas, the weight loss was ranked in the order: carbon steel>weathering steel>galvanized steel. The corrosion rates of bare steels obeyed the law C=At(superscript B) (C and t represent corrosion amount and time, respectively, while A and B are constants). The weathering steel not only possessed lower initial reaction rate, but also exhibited better protective rust than carbon steel. The corrosion product of weathering steel had more tendency of generating α-FeOOH, while that of carbon steel had more tendency of forming Fe3O4. The corrosion product of galvanized steel in both industrial and coastal areas were complex, while that in rural area was simply ZnO. Furthermore, both η and ζ phases were corroded in the above former two areas, while only η phase was corroded in rural area. Compared with that in previous study, the weight loss of bare steel in various areas was ranked in the order coastal>industrial>windy urban>rural.
This study is to investigate the atmospheric corrosion behaviors of carbon steel, weathering steel, and hot-dip galvanized carbon steel in various environments for almost 10 years. The experimental methods included actual exposure tests and analyses of corrosion products by SEM/EDS and XRD. The results revealed that, in industrial, coastal, and rural areas, the weight loss was ranked in the order: carbon steel>weathering steel>galvanized steel. The corrosion rates of bare steels obeyed the law C=At(superscript B) (C and t represent corrosion amount and time, respectively, while A and B are constants). The weathering steel not only possessed lower initial reaction rate, but also exhibited better protective rust than carbon steel. The corrosion product of weathering steel had more tendency of generating α-FeOOH, while that of carbon steel had more tendency of forming Fe3O4. The corrosion product of galvanized steel in both industrial and coastal areas were complex, while that in rural area was simply ZnO. Furthermore, both η and ζ phases were corroded in the above former two areas, while only η phase was corroded in rural area. Compared with that in previous study, the weight loss of bare steel in various areas was ranked in the order coastal>industrial>windy urban>rural.