Atmospheric corrosion monitoring of a weathering steel under an electrolyte film in cyclic wet-dry condition

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and film thickness measurements have been employed to study the corrosion monitoring of steel under an electrolyte film in wet-dry cycles simulating a coastal atmosphere. The results indicate that within each cycle, the corrosion rate increases during drying process due to an increase in Cl- concentration and an enhancement of oxygen diffusion by thinning out of the electrolyte. As corrosion process proceeds, the corrosion rate increases greatly and reaches a maximum. During subsequent corrosion stage, the corrosion rate decreases greatly and keeps at a low value due to the formation of a stable rust layer. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.