Effect of turbulent flow on the oxide properties of carbon steel in alkaline water

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the changes in the morphology, chemical state, defect density, and impedance of oxides formed on SA 106 Gr.B carbon steel by turbulent water flow at the micro and atomic levels. A compact magnetite layer composed of multi-faceted particles is formed in stagnant water, while a porous magnetite layer composed of particles without a certain shape is formed in turbulent water. Ferrous ions are preferentially dissolved from the oxide in turbulent water, which increases the vacancies in the oxide lattice. An increase in the concentration of point defects is shown to be comparable to an increase in the corrosion rate of carbon steel. The flow-accelerated corrosion behavior is also well correlated with the electrochemical impedance parameters including the charge transfer resistance and capacitance. Our study provides a further understanding of carbon steel corrosion under turbulent water flow conditions.