Atmospheric corrosion of galvanized steel in a marine environment

Atmospheric corrosion is the electrochemical process of metal deterioration from the action of atmospheric factors, both meteorological as well as chemical. Metals deteriorate due to their spontaneous oxidation when their surface is moistened with a film of condensed water, dew, fog or rain and this process leads to the formation of a protective film that acts as a physical barrier between the metal and the environment. However, this layer of corrosion can become a non protective film, due to a physical discharge or a partial dissolution of some soluble corrosion products of the material (galvanized steel) during rainfall or in condensed water on the material's surface. This process is known as metal runoff. In order to estimate the runoff process for galvanized steel and to study its behavior to atmospheric corrosion in a marine environment, samples of 10x10x0,6cm galvanized steel, with a coating thickness of 100 m Zn, were exposed in the city of Valparaiso, Region V, Chile. The atmospheric station is located at lat. 32AS and long. 71oW, classified according to ISO 9223 to 9226 as C2, S1 and P1, with a humidification time of 0.6 and chloride ion and sulfur dioxide content of 40.65 mgm-2day-1 and 7.18 mgm-2day-1, respectively. The deterioration of the galvanized steel was evaluated by weight loss measurements, determination of 'in situ' corrosion potential and morphology of the attack using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composition of the corrosion products was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The runoff solutions collected after the rainfall events were analyzed with different techniques to determine the content of Cl- ions, SO4-2 and dissolved solids, and pH and conductivity were measured as well. The concentration of Zn+2 is obtained by atomic adsorption spectroscopy. After four months of exposure of the test pieces preliminary results show that the potential for corrosion of the galvanized steel increased over time, which corroborates the formation of a protective film for zinc corrosion products, These were identified as zincite (ZnO) and simonkolleite (Zn5(OH)8Cl.H2O). The pH values from the runoff solutions from the rainfall events (first three events) are similar to the pH of the rainwater (white), while the conductivity and dissolved solids content of these solutions diminishes in relation to the exposure time. The chloride content also tends to decrease and stabilize over time, unlike the sulphate content that behaves randomly in relation to the amount of atmospheric SO2. The total amount of zinc lost as a soluble product increases over time and tends to stabilize