Industrial Atmosphere Research Articles

Study of corrosion evolution of carbon steel exposed to an industrial atmosphere

ABSTRACTThe corrosion evolution of carbon steel exposed to an actual industrial atmosphere was investigated. The characteristics of the rust that formed on the steel were analysed by mass-loss measurement, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical techniques. Mass-loss results showed that the long-term corrosion kinetics of carbon steel can be divided into four stages, and that the corrosion rate varies during the different corrosion stages. This corrosion-rate fluctuation is attributed to the increase in the ambient temperature and the change in the composition of the rust layer formed on the steel surface. The reciprocal of charge transfer resistance (Rct) can be used to represent the corrosion rate. The backward-facing specimens were found to be more suitable as the objects to investigate the corrosion evolution. The evolution of the rust layer that formed on the steel is also discussed.

Early stages of glass alteration in the coastal atmosphere

Urban and industrial atmospheres can produce several damages on glass façades and historical stained-glass windows; however, the effect of coastal atmosphere on them has been scarcely studied. This work presents the results of the exposure of soda-lime, potash-lime, and mixed-alkali silicate glass to the coastal atmosphere in Cape Vilán (Galicia, Spain) at different distances to the coast (inland) during twelve months. Crystalline deposits were observed on all the samples, although their quantity depended on the meteorological conditions. The samples located nearest to the coast presented alteration layers, while those ones located farthest from the shore presented several isolated pits. Regarding the chemical composition, potash-lime silicate glass, typical composition from medieval glass windows, was the most altered glass in contrast to soda-lime and mixed-alkali silicate glasses.

Corrosion Monitoring of Steel Structure Coating Degradation

An important aspect regarding the sustainability of steel structures is to ensure the structure is protected from corrosion. A number of surface coatings are available that play an important role in protecting these structures. An important part of the management of these structures is reliable and regular inspection along with methods for early detection of corrosion processes. In this paper, a development and application of sensors for monitoring the steel coating degradation and corrosion damage to steel substrate are presented. An encapsulated corrosion kit with integrated EIS sensors and ER probes was developed. To test its efficiency, steel probes were coated with selected coatings in the laboratory and their performance was assessed under various aggressive atmospheres, including; salt, industrial and humid atmosphere.

Surface Characterization of Mild Steel During Atmospheric Corrosion After Being Treated by Sodium Dihydrogen Orthophosphate

The objective of this study was to characterize the surfaces of the steel products produced locally during their exposure to the industrial and marine atmosphere of the Arabian Gulf region after being treated by sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate. Corrosion rates were determined by weight loss measurements. Sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate performed well throughout the test period. At the end of the exposure duration of 180 days, the corrosion rates of 10 mM sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate treated specimens were 71% of the corrosion rates of the untreated specimens. At certain periods of atmospheric exposure, the (disc shape) specimens were retrieved and studied by SEM and EDS surface analysis techniques. Analysis of the specimens by SEM and EDS at different exposure periods showed that sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate treated surfaces had much lower number of corrosion blisters than those on untreated surfaces at the same period of exposure. They were also smaller in size.

Incipient corrosion behavior and mechanical properties of low-alloy steel in simulated industrial atmosphere

Low-alloy steel is widely used in the structures. However, the corrosion problem is very common for low-alloy steel, which would result in the degradation of mechanical properties and the decrease of effective area of steel member. In this paper, the incipient corrosion behavior and mechanical properties of low-alloy steel were studied. Dog-bone steel specimens were artificially corroded through salt spray tests. Based on the experimental results, the incipient corrosion process was detailed presented, and different characterizations of the bottom surface and the top surface of the corroded specimen were analyzed. Then the stochastic distribution function and the time-dependent model of mass loss ratio were presented. At last, through the tensile coupon tests, the influence of corrosion levels on the final elongation ratio, elastic modulus, yielding stress and ultimate strength of low-alloy steel was presented and analyzed.

Atmospheric corrosion of ASTM A-242 and ASTM A-588 weathering steels in different types of atmosphere

ABSTRACTThe work analyses the atmospheric corrosion resistance of two widely used weathering steels: ASTM A-242 and ASTM A-588. The steels were exposed for up to 5 years in different types of atmosphere: rural, urban, industrial and marine. The atmospheric corrosion resistance of the steels was evaluated and the rust layers formed on them were characterised by X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The most relevant conclusions reached include the following: (a) the visual appearance (colouring) of the rust, rust texture, nature of the corrosion products and compactness of the rust layers formed are similar in both types of weathering steel. (b) No great differences are observed in the corrosion resistance. Slight differences occur in the industrial atmosphere, where ASTM A-242 presents 10–13% less corrosion than ASTM A-588. (c) In the C2-C3 ISO corrosivity atmosphere both types of weathering steels are adequate for unpainted use. However are not suitable in higher ISO corrosivity atmosphere.

Five-year atmospheric corrosion of Cu, Cr and Ni weathering steels in a wide range of environments

This work considers fourteen weathering steels manufactured by adding Cu, Cr and Ni alloying elements to extra mild steel. The steels were exposed for up to 5 years in different atmospheres. The atmospheric corrosion resistance of the steels was evaluated and the rust layers formed were characterised by X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The addition of Ni, particularly at 3.0 wt%, leads to a notable increase in corrosion resistance. The rusts formed contain lepidocrocite, goethite and spinel phases. X-ray diffraction also detected small amounts of kornelite (industrial atmosphere) and akaganeite (marine atmosphere).

Degradation of concentrating solar thermal reflectors in acid rain atmospheres

Given the importance that concentrating solar power technologies have had in recent years, the interaction between humid atmospheres in which SO2 is the main pollutant and the metal reflecting layers of the solar concentrators is a major concern that should be addressed. Previous durability studies have urged the importance of designing an accelerated aging test protocol for simulating aggressive industrial atmospheres that solar reflector materials are bound to encounter. Therefore, three types of reflectors were tested in an acid-rain (or Kesternich) chamber at various temperatures and gas concentrations based on the DIN 50018 and ISO 6988 standards. The results showed the significant effect of high SO2 concentrations rather than high temperatures on silvered-glass reflectors, although synergy should not be disregarded. Strong reductions in specular reflectance were found for one type of silvered reflector compared to another type, highlighting the significance of material processing and its effects on their final performance. Aluminum reflectors were not damaged as much as silvered-glass reflectors, but under microscopic inspection, a wide range of noticeable corrosion defects could be found in all the materials. Comparisons between the most representative Kesternich test and samples from an outdoor industrial site permitted realistic lifetime correlations for commercial silvered-glass reflectors.

Atmospheric corrosion comparison of antirust aluminum exposed to industrial and coastal atmospheres

The atmospheric corrosion behavior of antirust aluminum alloys 3A21 and 5A05 in industrial and coastal atmospheres was investigated and compared. Weight loss results, together with corrosion morphology characterization, suggest that the coastal atmosphere is much more corrosive to antirust aluminum than the industrial atmosphere. 5A05 alloy has better localized corrosion resistance than 3A21 alloy, and the corrosion rate shows a decreasing tendency with exposure time. After 3 years of exposure, the antirust aluminum samples only suffer pitting corrosion attack and retain their mechanical properties well. In the two atmospheres, the corrosion products are mainly oxides, aluminum hydroxychloride, aluminum sulfate hydrate, and basic aluminum sulfate. Besides, the atmospheric corrosion mechanism and the corrosion comparison between the two atmospheres were also discussed.

Corrosion mechanism of copper immersed in ammonium sulfate solution

(NH4)2SO4 is abundant in the dust of the rural and industrial atmosphere, by which a thin layer of (NH4)2SO4 solution will be formed on the copper surface and give rise to serious corrosion as soon as the ambient humidity gets the critical relative humidity. In this work, the corrosion mechanism of copper in (NH4)2SO4 solution was studied by microgravimetry associated with SEM/EDS, FT‐IR, XRD, titration method, and electrochemical tests. The results suggest that the corrosion of copper is not only caused by electrochemical effect, but also caused by the synergistic actions of the electrochemical and chemical reactions. In addition, it is found that the presence of free Cu2+ is the prerequisite for the formation of corrosion products on copper immersed in (NH4)2SO4 solution. NH4+ plays a dual role in promoting the corrosion of copper and inhibiting the formation of corrosion products on copper surface.

Anticorrosive Behavior of Zinc Rich Coating Systems on Steels in Marine and Industrial Atmosphere

The present work investigates the systems of cold-galvanized coatings with alkyd and polyurethane finishes applied in carbon steel exposed in the marine and industrial atmosphere of Poza Rica Veracruz, through Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy technique. Coating systems were exposed to the atmosphere on a 45 degree adjustable exposure panel, heading towards prevailing winds and were evaluated electrochemically at different exposure periods. The coatings studied protect the steel from corrosion by increasing the impedance as the polymer film is hydrated due to the activation of pigments, mainly zinc, the base component of the super inorganic that seals the pores and heterogeneities of the coating, so they are an alternative to counteract the damages caused by atmospheric corrosion.

A Critical Analysis of Research Potential, Challenges, and Future Directives in Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks

In recent years, industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSNs) have emerged as an important research theme with applications spanning a wide range of industries including automation, monitoring, process control, feedback systems, and automotive. Wide scope of IWSNs applications ranging from small production units, large oil and gas industries to nuclear fission control, enables a fast-paced research in this field. Though IWSNs offer advantages of low cost, flexibility, scalability, self-healing, easy deployment, and reformation, yet they pose certain limitations on available potential and introduce challenges on multiple fronts due to their susceptibility to highly complex and uncertain industrial environments. In this paper, a detailed discussion on design objectives, challenges, and solutions, for IWSNs, are presented. A careful evaluation of industrial systems, deadlines, and possible hazards in industrial atmosphere are discussed. This paper also presents a thorough review of the existing standards and industrial protocols and gives a critical evaluation of potential of these standards and protocols along with a detailed discussion on available hardware platforms, specific industrial energy harvesting techniques and their capabilities. This paper lists main service providers for IWSNs solutions and gives insight of future trends and research gaps in the field of IWSNs.

Electrochemical properties of welded S355J2 steel before and after surface treatment by manganese phosphating

S355J2 steel is used for many applications in different industries. However, this material is attacked by corrosion in chloride environment where the most vulnerable part of a construction is a welded joint. In order to improve general corrosion resistanceof steels phosphate coatings are widely used. This paper evaluates the effect of a manganese phosphate coating prepared on welded joint produced by submerged arc welding (SAW) method on the electrochemical corrosion characteristics. These corrosion characteristics were assessed by potentiodynamic polarization tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements in 0.1M Na2SO4 (simulation of industrial atmosphere) solution

Evaluation of active sampling strategies for the determination of 1,3-butadiene in air

Two analytical methods for determining levels of 1,3-butadiene in urban and industrial atmospheres were evaluated in this study. Both methods are extensively used for determining the concentration of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere and involve collecting samples by active adsorptive enrichment on solid sorbents. The first method uses activated charcoal as the sorbent and involves liquid desorption with carbon disulfide. The second involves the use of a multi-sorbent bed with two graphitised carbons and a carbon molecular sieve as the sorbent, with thermal desorption. Special attention was paid to the optimization of the sampling procedure through the study of sample volume, the stability of 1,3-butadiene once inside the sampling tube and the humidity effect. In the end, the thermal desorption method showed better repeatability and limits of detection and quantification for 1,3-butadiene than the liquid desorption method, which makes the thermal desorption method more suitable for analysing air samples from both industrial and urban atmospheres. However, sampling must be performed with a pre-tube filled with a drying agent to prevent the loss of the adsorption capacity of the solid adsorbent caused by water vapour. The thermal desorption method has successfully been applied to determine of 1,3-butadiene inside a 1,3-butadiene production plant and at three locations in the vicinity of the same plant.

Analysis of fractional order inductive transducers

Inductive sensors have been widely used for precise measurement of position, displacement, temperature and pressure as they are extremely reliable in the harsh industrial atmosphere. In this paper, fractional order models of inductive transducers namely fractional order variable reluctance inductive transducer and fractional order resonant inductive transducer are developed and its characteristics are analysed. The impact of fractional order parameter on the characteristics like sensitivity and nonlinearity of the fractional order transducer are studied. The results are enriched when a fractional order inductor is connected in parallel to the fractional order resonant inductive transducer.

Influence of Ni(II), Cu(II) and Cr(III) on the formation, morphology and molecular adsorption properties of α-FeOOH rust particles prepared by aerial oxidation of neutral Fe(II) solutions

To elucidate the role of alloying metals such as Ni, Cu and Cr in weathering steels on the formation of α-FeOOH rust by atmospheric corrosion of the steels in industrial and urban districts, influence of alloying metal ions on the formation, morphology and adsorption properties of α-FeOOH particles synthesized by aerial oxidation of neutral FeSO4 solution was examined. The addition of Cu(II) and Cr(III) dramatically suppresses the crystal growth of α-FeOOH and turns the rod-shaped α-FeOOH particles into nano-sized irregular ones. Besides, increase of amount of added Cr(III) forms the iron oxyhydroxysulfate named as Schwertmannite (Fe8O8(SO4)(OH)6). Whereas, the Ni(II) addition shows no noticeable influence on the growth of α-FeOOH crystal and particles. These results imply that the inhibitory effect of crystal and particle growth of α-FeOOH is in order of Cr(III) > Cu(II) >> Ni(II). The adsorption of CO2 gas on the α-FeOOH particles is impeded by adding Cu(II) and Cr(III). Whereas, the formation of Schwertmannite by adding Cr(III) enhances the CO2 and SO2 adsorption. These results suggest that alloying Cu and Cr in weathering steels inhibit the crystal and particle growth of α-FeOOH to accelerate the formation of protective rust layer composed of fine α-FeOOH and/or Schwertmannite rust particles on the steels in urban and industrial atmosphere.

Colloidal Force Study of Particle Fouling on Gas Capture Membrane

Membrane fouling induced by industrial flue gas deteriorates their gas capturing efficiency, which is mainly caused by the adhesion of aerosol particles. To fully understand the mechanism of membrane fouling, a quantitative study of the adhesion force of particle on membrane surface was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The adhesion force of a single particle with flat glass, silicon wafer, PP (polypropylene) membrane, and fly-ash particles were measured within the relative humidity (RH) of 0 ~ 85%. The results showed the adhesion force of a particle with membrane have not much difference from the glass and silica wafer. And the surface roughness of flat substrate has slight effect on the adhesion force of the micrometer scale particle on flat surface at dry condition, while measured adhesion forces show obvious RH dependent for glass and membrane. Additionally, at dry conditions, the adhesion force of inter-particles also shows no obvious quantitative difference but obvious scattering comparing to that on membrane. The adhesion force of inter-particles increased more higher with the RH than that on membrane, which indicates the adhesion between micrometer scale particles can accelerate the deposition of particles on membrane and contributes the most to membrane fouling in industry atmosphere.

A complete project environment simulation to improve six sigma training class engagement

Most of the learners view statistical-related training, such as Six Sigma training as a “monotonous” area despite the group discussions, case studies, active summaries, Q&A sessions, and role-playing being included as part of Six Sigma training today. The learners will be less enthusiastic when similar training manner is repeatedly adopted and becomes predictable. An uninteresting training approach could cause the learners to be disengaged and demotivated to learn and thus cause the training to be ineffective and could potentially hinder the organization strategies. Therefore, to keep the learner more attentive and involved during the Six Sigma training, a fun Six Sigma training approach with a properly designed class game is desirable. The game aims to provide a complete Six Sigma project experience by simulating a real-life competitive atmosphere of commercial industry, which can help the learners to internalize the Six Sigma knowledge and its applications. The Six Sigma game embraces the form of team competition, where it covers two major aspects, namely, (i) Six Sigma expertise on how to formulate a meaningful y = f(x) and (ii) basic element of project management as a coherent approach to Six Sigma training. In this paper, the author adopted the Kirkpatrick learning evaluation model to evaluate how the learners react to the newly implemented Six Sigma game and to gauge how much their know-how improved after the training. The post-training feedback, pre-training, and post-training evaluation suggest that the Six Sigma game can engage and motivate the learners.

Properties of high flowable mortar containing high volume palm oil clinker (POC) fine for eco-friendly construction

The management of waste material from various industries has been given importance in recent times to create a cleaner environment and sustainable industrial atmosphere. Palm oil clinker (POC), one of the by-products from the incineration process of oil palm shell and fibres in the palm oil mill boilers, has the potential to pollute the environment if not managed appropriately. In this study, the applicability and feasibility of POC fine as a substitute for sand was investigated thoroughly at different replacement levels (0%, 12.5%, 25%, 37.5%, 50%, 62.5%, 75%, 87.5% and 100%). It was found that complete replacement of sand with POC fine has the ability to produce almost 78% of the strength compared to the conventional mix at 56 days. From the perspective of durability, POC fine can produce almost 97% of the long lasting effect with regards to the control mix. The assessment of sustainability shows that POC fine can enhance the engineering environmental index and engineering economic index by 95% and 11%, respectively. Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) performed proves the ability of POC to promote cleaner and safer environment. This research reveals that POC fine can be regarded as a highly beneficial material contributing substantially towards the sustainability and preservation of sand as a natural resource even when completely substituted.

Structural and chemical stability of high performance Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-δ – FeCo2O4 dual phase oxygen transport membranes

Ceramic oxide membranes are widely being researched for Carbon Capture and Storage/Utilization sector applications. Foreseen applications of these membranes are oxygen generation for oxyfuel combustion in e.g. power plants, glass-, cement- or steel production. Major drawback with Mixed Ionic and Electronic Conducting (MIEC) perovskite structure membranes is their limited long term stability at high temperatures in aggressive atmospheres. Dual phase composite membranes have been reported to excel overcoming this drawback. In addition to performance evaluation, Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-δ – FeCo2O4 (CGO-FCO) membranes were subjected to stability test in flue gas conditions closely mimicking industrial flue gas atmosphere. The dual phase composites are investigated for their phase stability at the operating temperature of 850°C in a gradient of oxygen chemical potential. The composites were also exposed to a series of gas mixtures over a period of time at their operating temperature to test for the chemical stability. CGO-FCO membranes are identified to possess chemical stability in gas mixtures of CO2, SO2 along with oxygen over a period of 200h at 850°C under oxygen partial pressure gradient.