Repassivation characteristics of carbon steel in chloride-free pore solution after thermal cycles of simulated tropical marine environments

Abstract

Abstract Repassivation characteristics of carbon steel experienced thermal cycles in tropical marine environments were investigated in a simulated concrete pore solution (SCPS). The results suggested that the damage of passive films on the carbon steel mainly occurred during the cooling process in thermal cycles. The damaged passive films gradually recovered in the SCPS, and the duration of repassivation extended with the amplitude of thermal cycles and cyclic number in the high-amplitude thermal cycles (20–60 °C and 20–70 °C), while it was not significantly affected by the cyclic number in the low-amplitude thermal cycles (20–40 °C and 20–50 °C).