Experimental Study on the Chlorine-Induced Corrosion and Blister Formation of Steel Pipes Coated with Modified Polyethylene Powder

Abstract

In this study, chlorine-induced corrosion and blister formation on steel pipes (SPs) coated with modified polyethylene powder (MPP) were evaluated through various tests, including chlorine exposure, wet immersion, and temperature gradient experiments. The results confirmed that the extent of corrosion and iron leaching varied with the coating type as expected. In batch leaching tests, no corrosion was observed on modified polyethylene-coated steel pipes (MPCSPs) within a chlorine concentration range of 0 mg/L to 10 mg/L; similarly, there were no significant changes in specimen weight or iron levels. In contrast, the control group with uncoated SPs exhibited significant iron leaching and corrosion, a trend consistent in sequential leaching experiments. SEM analysis after a month of chlorine exposure revealed no significant corrosion on MPCSPs, and SEM-EDX confirmed no major changes in the carbon bond structure, indicating resistance to high chlorine concentrations. Comparative analysis of wet immersion and temperature gradient tests between MPCSP and conventional epoxy-coated SP (ECSP) specimens revealed that MPCSPs did not develop blisters even after 100 days of immersion, whereas ECSPs began showing blisters as early as 50 days. In temperature gradient tests, MPCSPs showed no blisters after 100 days, while ECSPs exhibited severe internal coating layer blisters.