Modelling Pitting Corrosion in Carbon Steel Materials

Abstract

Pitting corrosion is one of the most destructive types of metal loss. The purpose of this study was to investigate the evolution, or in other words, the propagation, of a single pit in carbon steel after the initiation stage. In view of the chemical and electrochemical reactions inside a single pit in carbon steel, a two dimensional model that allows the prediction of pit evolution was developed. Eleven species in aqueous sodium chloride solution and two neutral complexes were considered in the model. Given that the active-passive transition of a metal is a key phenomenon in pitting, the equations used to construct a Pourbaix diagram for iron were incorporated in the model as rules to govern passivation behaviour. By using the finite element package COMSOL Multiphysics as a tool, the Nernst-Planck equations for the mass transport and potential variations were solved. In addition, the multiphysics model was extended with Moving Boundary (ALE) mode to predict shapes of pits. The results of the study were that the model was able to investigate migration of ionic species, account for the active-passive transition of metal and also able to show the effect of solid precipitation. The model was able to show movement of the boundaries of a pit and hence, predict the shapes of pit at a given range of time. The results were discussed in comparison to the Pourbaix diagram of iron and compared with the experimental results and published models reported in literature. The principal conclusion is that modelling corrosion activities with integrated thermodynamic equations based on Pourbaix diagram methods is an outstanding way to model any other corrosion activities.

Date of Award	1 Aug 2013
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Nicholas Stevens (Supervisor)