Measurement of volume resistivity/conductivity of metallic alloy in inhibited seawater by optical interferometry techniques

Abstract

Optical interferometry techniques were used for the first time to measure the volume resistivity∕conductivity of carbon steel samples in seawater with different concentrations of a corrosion inhibitor. In this investigation, the real-time holographic interferometry was carried out to measure the thickness of anodic dissolved layer or the total thickness, U(total), of formed oxide layer of carbon steel samples during the alternating current (ac) impedance of the samples in blank seawater and in 5-20 ppm TROS C-70 inhibited seawater, respectively. In addition, a mathematical model was derived in order to correlate between the ac impedance (resistance) and the surface (orthogonal) displacement of the surface of the samples in solutions. In other words, a proportionality constant [resistivity (ρ) or conductivity (σ) = 1∕ρ] between the determined ac impedance [by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique] and the orthogonal displacement (by the optical interferometry techniques) was obtained. The value of the resistivity of the carbon steel sample in the blank seawater was found similar to the value of the resistivity of the carbon steel sample air, around 1 × 10(-5) Ω cm. On the contrary, the measured values of the resistivity of the carbon steel samples were 1.85 × 10(7), 3.35 × 10(7), and 1.7 × 10(7) Ω cm in 5, 10, and 20 ppm TROS C-70 inhibited seawater solutions, respectively. Furthermore, the determined value range of ρ of the formed oxide layers, from 1.7 × 10(7) to 3.35 × 10(7) Ω cm, is found in a reasonable agreement with the one found in literature for the Fe oxide-hydroxides, i.e., goethite (α-FeOOH) and for the lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH), 1 × 10(9) Ω cm. The ρ value of the Fe oxide-hydroxides, 1 × 10(9) Ω cm, was found slightly higher than the ρ value range of the formed oxide layer of the present study. This is because the former value was determined by a dc method rather than by an electromagnetic method, i.e., holographic interferometry with applications of EIS, i.e., ac method. As a result, erroneous measurements were recorded due to the introduction of heat to Fe oxide-hydroxides.