Simulation of steel rod atmospheric corrosion by alternate immersion in salt solution

Abstract

Corroded B235 reinforcing steel rods, which were exposed to an open air environment for 25 years, with a certain specific mass loss, were studied. Test pieces were prepared from them by lathe machining. The test pieces were subjected to accelerated corrosion through an alternate immersion in NaCl solution. The same specific mass loss as on the initial corroded rods was achieved for 52 days. Further the test pieces were cleaned, observed, photographed and tensile tested. The cleaned surfaces and the stress-strain curves of the test pieces were compared with results, obtained from the initial corroded rods. It was found out about the tested steel rods that alternate immersion in salt solution for 52 days is a good simulation of twenty-five-year atmospheric corrosion.