Q1 : A piece of corroded steel plate was found in a submerged ocean vessel.

It
was estimated that the original area of the plate was 10 in2 and the
approximately 2.6 kg had corroded away during the submersion. Assuming a
corrosion penetration rate of 200 mpy for this alloy in seawater, estimate the
time of submersion in years. The density of steel is 7.9 g/cm3.

mpy = 534W/DAT

3
2
7.9 g / cm 10 in. (200 mpy)

(534) 2.6 x 10 mg

t =

= 8.8 x 104 h = 10 yr

2. Zinc experiences corrosion in an acid solution according to the reaction;

Zn + 2H+

Zn2+ + H2

The rates of both oxidation and reduction half-reactions are controlled by

activation polarisation and the data are given in TABLE Q2b.
TABLE Q2b
Zinc

Hydrogen

Reduction

E (Zn/ Zn2+)=

E (H+/ H2) = 0 V

Potential

0.763 V

Exchange

io = 10-7 A/cm2

io = 10-10 A/cm2

= +0.09

= 0.08

Current Density
Tafel Slope

Calculate:
i.

the rate of oxidation of Zinc in mol/cm2-s.

[6 marks

ii.

the value of the corrosion potential.

[4 marks]

For hydrogen reduction

i
E H = E (H + /H ) + H log
2
io
H

And for Zn oxidation

i
EZn = E (zn/zn2 ) + Zn log
io
Zn

Setting EH = EZn and solving for log i (log icorr) leads to


1
log i corr =
Ni H

E( H / H ) E( Zn2 / Zn) H log ioH Zn log ioNi

2

1
10
=
(0.09) log 10 7
0 (0.763) (0.08) log 6 x10
0.09 (0.08)

= -3.924
Or
i corr = 10 -3.924 = 1.19x 10 -4 A/cm 2

And from Equation

r=

icorr
nF

1.19 x10 4 C / s - cm 2
=
= 6.17 x 10 -10 mol/cm 2 - s
(2)(96,500 C / mol)

(b) Now it becomes necessary to compute the value of the corrosion

potential, Ecorr. This is possible by using either of the above equations for
EH or EZn and substituting for i the value determined above for icorr. Thus
i
E c = E (H + /H ) + H log corr
2
io
H

1.19 x10 4 A / cm 2
= 0.486 V
= 0 + (0.08 V) log
10
2
10
A
/
cm