The influence of half-cycle rectified sinusoidal alternating current (AC) on corrosion of X80 pipeline steel in an acid bicarbonate solution

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the effect of alternating current (AC) on corrosion, it is not yet clear about the exact mechanism of the corrosion induced by AC. Previous reports indicated that AC corrosion was similar to the effect of continuous cathodic and anodic polarization on the corrosion process of the metals. Wan et al. studied the effect of negative half-wave AC on stress corrosion cracking behavior and mechanism of X80 pipeline steel in near-neutral solution.Design/methodology/approachThis study attempted to understand the AC-induced corrosion by imposing the half-cycle AC on the X80 pipeline steel in an acid bicarbonate solution. The AC corrosion mechanism was determined by weight loss and potentiodynamic polarization curve measurements, as well as surface characterization.FindingsThe results show that the positive half-cycle AC accelerated the uniform corrosion in the NaHCO3 solution, the negative half-cycle AC would decrease the uniform corrosion and local corrosion was increased and some Ca and Mg deposited on the surface of X80 steel, so the corrosion rate decreased by negative half-cycle AC. The corrosion product was composed of α-FeOOH under the application of positive half-cycle AC. The oxygen reduction led to a local increase of pH near the electrode surface and led to the formation of α-FeOOH, which enhanced the protectability of corrosion products.Originality/valueResearchers studied the effect of negative half-wave AC on stress corrosion cracking behavior and mechanism of X80 pipeline steel in near-neutral solution. However, the AC behavior and corrosion mechanism in acid solution are unknown. So to make clear about the corrosion behavior of metals in different polarization states and the mechanism involved, diode technology was used to research the AC corrosion, half-wave AC was applied on the metals after the full-wave rectified.