MM435_Corrosion Degradation and Protection

Fall-2020

By

Ramzan Abdul Karim

GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF MATERIALS & CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

 Corrosion Cells
Types of Corrosion Cells

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Corrosion Cells
Basic Components of a corrosion cell:

1. Anode
All these components should be present in an
2. Cathode electrochemical corrosion cell
3. Electrolyte
4. Electrical connection

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Types of Corrosion Cells
1. Galvanic Cells

2. Concentration Cells

3. Differential Temperature Cells

4. Stress Cells

5. Microbial Cells

6. Electrolytic Cells

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Corrosion Cells - Galvanic Cells
Galvanic corrosion cell is developed between two dissimilar metals

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Corrosion Cells - Galvanic Cells
Whenever a copper pipe service line is directly connected to a cast iron gas
or water main, a galvanic cell is formed:

• the soil is the electrolyte,

• the copper service line is the cathode,
• the iron main is the anode

Copper fitting

Iron

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Corrosion Cells - Galvanic Cells • the soil/air is the electrolyte,
• the copper rod is the cathode,
• Steel anchor rod becomes the anode

Galvanic Cell

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Corrosion Cells - Galvanic Cells • the soil/air is the electrolyte,
• the copper rod is the cathode,
• Steel anchor rod becomes the anode

Solution…??? Galvanic Cell

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Corrosion Cells -Concentration Cells

• Concentration Cells

(a) Differences in compositions of the soil.

(b) Differences in moisture content of soils.

(c) Variation in the amount of oxygen in soils.

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Corrosion Cells -Concentration Cells
• Dissolved salts in a soil environment can be complex mixtures and include compounds of aluminum,
calcium, magnesium, and other metals combined with sulfates, chlorides, hydroxides.

• Chloride ions, for example, can be quite aggressive toward steel

Chloride Rich Areas…… Anode

Chloride Starved Areas….Cathode

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Corrosion Cells – Concentration + Galvanic Cells
• The main difference in the environment surrounding the steel anchor is due to the variation of pH
between the soil typically acidic and the basic pH in the concrete anchorage (pH > 10).

• Because this higher pH is protective to steel, it naturally follows that the steel in concrete becomes
the cathode drawing an anodic current from the adjacent steel in the soil.

Galvanic Cell Concentration Cell

??

Low pH/acidic Areas…… Anode

High pH/basic Areas….Cathode

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Corrosion Cells –
Differential Aeration: Oxygen Concentration Cells
• Generally, oxygen enables a corrosion reaction by maintaining a cathodic
reaction

• Corrosion can further be promoted where there is a difference in the

concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) even between two points of the same
metal surface. O Concentration Cell
2

Oxygen Rich Areas…… Cathode

Oxygen Starved Areas….Anode

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Corrosion Cells –
Differential Aeration: Oxygen Concentration Cells

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Corrosion Cells – Temperature Cells

• The hot pipe near the compressor is the anode

• The cooler pipe down the line is the cathode
• The soil is the electrolyte
• The pipe itself is the connecting circuit

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Corrosion Cells – Stray current cells
In stray current cells the energy comes from an electrical current external to the
corrosion site.
Possible sources of energy for such cells:
• a distant generator,
Deliberate
• a cathodic protection rectifier on some other line

• a direct-current transmission line

Accidental
• a street car system, or an electric railway

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Corrosion Cells – Stray current cells
Presence of Stray Currents:

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Corrosion Cells – Stray current cells
Presence of Stray Currents:

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Corrosion Cells – Stress cells
Anode established by residual internal stress often produced by cold
work
Solution….??
Stress Relieving….!!

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Corrosion Cells – Microbial Corrosion Cells (MIC)
Microorganisms tend to attach themselves to solid surfaces, colonize and form biofilms
which may in turn produce an environment at the biofilm/metal interface radically
different from the bulk environment in terms of pH, dissolved oxygen, organic and
inorganic species.

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Corrosion Cells – Surface Film cells

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Corrosion Cells – Electrolytic Cells

They may consist of all the basic

components of galvanic cells and
concentration cells

plus

an external source of
electrical energy.

This is used for Cathodic

Protection of Metals

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Visualizing Corrosion Cells
The existence and location of anodes and cathodes in a corrosion cell can be
demonstrated by the changes in color of certain reagents.
Cathode Anode

Anode

Cathode

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Visualizing Corrosion Cells
The existence and location of anodes and cathodes in a corrosion cell can be
demonstrated by the changes in color of certain reagents.

Cathode Anode

Anode Cathode

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 Next Topics….!!

➢Electrode Potential

➢Cell Potentials

➢Free Energy & Thermodynamics

➢Electrochemical & Galvanic Series

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