Simulating study of atmospheric corrosion of steels in a coastal industrial zone: Effect of SO32- on the formation of β-FeOOH rust particles synthesized from FeCl3 solutions

For simulation of the atmospheric corrosion of steel in a coastal industrial district, beta-FeOOH rusts were synthesized by aging the aqueous FeCl3 solutions containing SO32-. The yield and crystallite size of beta-FeOOH were remarkably decreased by adding SO32-, implying the suppression of formation and crystallization of beta-FeOOH. Before aging, added SO32- broke the coordination of Cl(-)and OH- to Fe3+ in Fe3+-complexes and reduced the Fe3+ to Fe2+. These facts suppose that SO32- generated by dissolution of SOx gas in thin film water on the steels at a coastal industrial zone markedly inhibits the formation of beta-FeOOH rust. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.