Accelerated Prediction Methodologies to Predict the Outdoor Exposure Lifespan of Galvannealed Steel

Abstract

Generally, atmospheric corrosion is the electrochemical degradation of metal that can be caused by various corrosion factors of atmospheric components and weather, as well as air pollutants. Specifically, moisture and particles of sea salt and sulfur dioxide are major factors in atmospheric corrosion. Using galvanized steel is one of the most efficient ways to protect iron from corrosion by zinc plating on the surface of the iron. Galvanized steel is widely used in automobiles, building structures, roofing, and other industrial structures due to their high corrosion resistance relative to iron. The atmospheric corrosion of galvanized steel shows complex corrosion behavior, depending on the plating, coating thickness, atmospheric environment, and air pollutants. In addition, corrosion products are produced in different types of environments. The lifespans of galvanized steels may vary depending on the use environment. Therefore, this study investigated the corrosion behavior of galvannealed steel under atmospheric corrosion in two locations in Korea, and the lifespan prediction of galvannealed steel in rural and coastal environments was conducted by means of the potentiostatic dissolution test and the chemical cyclic corrosion test.