Engineering Materials
Corrosion
It is important to study corrosion as its effect is primarily damaging tomaterials.
Corrosion
may be defined as – Destruction of material by chemical,electrochemical or metallurgical interaction between the environment andmaterial.Types of corrosion:-
1)
Direct corrosion.
2)
Electrochemical Corrosion.(Wet corrosion)
3)
Corrosion of metal by liquids- Galvanic Corrosion.
4)
Corrosion of a metal by gas.(Dry corrosion)
5)
Special corrosion types.
1.
Direct corrosion
It is ordinary chemical attack by corrosive solution on a metal.
Acid Pickling used to clean steel surfaces is an example of direct corrosion.
The reaction below shows direct corrosion-Fe + 2H
+
=Fe
++
+ H
2
(gas)The reaction describes the direct attack of iron by hydrogen ions in the acid pickling (eg 5-10% H
2
SO
4
) of steel
In acid solution, metal surface dissolves uniformly.
Rate of direct corrosion is relatively high as compared with the other typesof corrosion.
Direct corrosion can be controlled by suitable
addition of inhibitors
(chemical compounds) to the corroding medium.
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2.
Electrochemical Corrosion
:-
When corrosion takes the form of chemical reaction in conjunction withelectrolysis.
Factors governing electrochemical corrosion-
1.
Existing potential difference between different parts of same metal(because of difference in microstructure or composition).
2.
Presence of electrolyte.Electrolyte is any solution that contains ions.Ions are electrically charged atoms (group of atoms)Electrolyte can be plain water, salt water, and alkaline solutions.
3.
Completion of closed circuit (there must be two electrodes-an anodeand a cathode which may be two different kinds of metals say Fe, Cu.Eg, action of hydrochloric acid solution on piece of iron
Numerous tiny anode(+) and cathode(-) area get formed on surface of iron,owing to surface imperfections, localized stresses, grain orientations, inclusionsin metal, variations in environment.
At anode, +ve charged iron atoms detach themselves from solid surface andenter electrolyte solution as positive ions(Fe
++
is shown) while –ve charged
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electrons(e) that are released pass round the external circuit to cathode,constituting currentFe Fe
++
+ 2electrons (e)
Iron passes and thus dissolves into solution whereas free electrons onreaching cathode, meet and neutralize some positively charged hydrogen ions become neutral atoms and these atoms combine to form (molecular) hydrogengas (H
2
)2H
+
+ 2e H
2
(form bubbles at cathode surface)
Corrosion continues till layer on hydrogen on cathode surface slows downelectrochemical reaction.
Also oxygen in electrolyte can react with accumulated hydrogen to formwater and thus permitting corrosion to proceed.
3. Galvanic corrosion:-
Anode metal is made to dissolve or corrode continuously.
Two dissimilar metals are in electrical contact with each other and exposedto electrolyte.
Zn (anode) and Cu (Cathode).
Both are dipped in the electrolyte.
As two electrodes are joined by conductor, electronic current flows fromanode (Zn) through conductor to Cu (Cathode).
At anode excess of electrons are removed, so more metal atoms to beoxidized and go into solution.
At cathode more electrons are added that are intercepted by positive ionsdeposited there.
Current flows at expense of anode metal which is corroded continuously.
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Corrosion
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thanks for the information... really good