The possibility for formation of macro-cell corrosion in a liquid with low electrical conductivity
✍ Scribed by M. Matsumura
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2010
- Tongue
- German
- Weight
- 170 KB
- Volume
- 62
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0947-5117
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
The possibility of electrochemical corrosion of carbon steel at the rate of 3.25 × 10^−5^ A/cm^2^ in water was examined under the conditions present during an accidental pipe rupture at the Mihama nuclear power plant: liquid conductivity, 7.5 µS/cm; dissolved oxygen concentration, 5 ppb or less; pH 8.6∼9.3; ferrous ion concentration, 20 ppb or less; temperature, 142 °C. The corrosion rate of iron in a micro‐cell with a dissolved oxygen reduction cathode was estimated to be only 1/400 of the preceding rate. On the other hand, that in a micro‐cell with a hydrogen ion reduction cathode was estimated to be as high as 1/10 of the preceding rate, that is, 3.25 × 10^−6^ A/cm^2^. Two important factors may have influenced the corrosion rate: the remarkable wall thinning, which must have been the direct cause of the rupture of the pipe, was located close to, and downstream from, an orifice; and, the water temperature was in the range at which carbon steel makes a transition from the active to the passive state. Taking these facts into consideration, it appears possible that micro‐cells with different corrosion rates might be generated and integrated into a macro‐cell, where the iron dissolution rate might be accelerated to as much as 10 times that of the micro‐cell.