Gravimetric and electrochemical investigation of the impact of various factors on XC48 carbon steel corrosion in different environments

Abstract

ur main motivation in this study was to review the effects of acid concentration and solution temperature on the corrosion behavior of XC48 carbon steel in acidic and saline environments. We conducted both gravimetric and electrochemical analyses to evaluate the extent of corrosion. The gravimetric study revealed interesting findings regarding the influence of acid concentration on the corrosion rate. Initially, as the acid concentration increased, the corrosion rate showed an upward trend, reaching a peak at approximately 6M (44.1%) of sulfuric acid. However, at higher concentrations, such as 10.3M (65.15%) the corrosion rate decreased to a lower value at different immersion times. A similar trend was observed with phosphoric acid, where the maximum corrosion rate occurred at around 10M (66.6%), but decreased at 14.5M (84.68%) over different immersion times. Notably, in the case of hydrochloric acid, the corrosion rate exhibited a logarithmic behavior at higher concentrations (6M, 7M, 10M), which can be attributed to the formation of passive layers. The decrease in corrosion rate at higher concentrations indicates the protective effect of these passive layers. During the electrochemical analysis, we investigated the effect of temperature and NaCl concentration on the corrosion rate. Our results indicated that the corrosion rate increased with an elevation in temperature and NaCl concentration. The maximum corrosion rate was observed within the range of 3 to 4% of NaCl. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the corrosion behavior of XC48 carbon steel in acidic and saline environments. The gravimetric analysis highlighted the influence of acid concentration on corrosion rate, including the formation of passive layers at high concentrations. The electrochemical study demonstrated the impact of temperature and NaCl concentration on corrosion rate, with higher values observed at elevated temperatures and increased NaCl concentrations. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the corrosion mechanisms and can aid in the development of effective corrosion prevention strategies for carbon steel in similar environments