Insights into the enhanced corrosion resistance of carbon steel in a novel low-carbon concrete with red mud and phytic acid

Abstract

As a supplementary cementitious material, red mud (RM) has a great potential for producing low-carbon concrete. However, it may induce alkali-aggregate reaction owing to its high alkalinity, so acids have been widely used for neutralization. Moreover, as an organic corrosion inhibitor for metals used in acid and neutral environments, phytic acid (PA) is not suitable for direct application in reinforced concrete. Accordingly, a novel low-carbon and corrosion-resistant concrete was designed with both RM and PA. Due to the generation of a bilayer PA-related protective film on the steel surface, a synergistic inhibition mechanism of RM and PA was proposed.