INTRODUCTION

Corrosion is the gradual destruction of material, usually metal, by chemical reaction with its environment. In the most common use of the word, this means electrochemical oxidation of metals in reaction with an oxidant such as oxygen. Rusting, the formation of iron oxides, is a well-known example of electrochemical corrosion. This type of damage typically produces oxide(s) or salt(s) of the original metal. Corrosion can also occur in materials other than metals, such as ceramics or polymers, although in this context, the term degradation is more common. Many structural alloys corrode merely from exposure to moisture in the air, but the process can be strongly affected by exposure to certain substances. Corrosion can be concentrated locally to form a pit or crack, or it can extend across a wide area more or less uniformly corroding the surface. Because corrosion is a diffusion controlled process, it occurs on exposed surfaces. As a result, methods to reduce the activity of the exposed surface, such aspassivation and chromate-conversion, can increase a material's corrosion resistance. However, some corrosion mechanisms are less visible and less predictable. Rusting is an example of a process called corrosion. Corrosion means that a chemical reaction has occurred in which metal atoms have combined with oxygen to form an oxide coat. When those metal atoms are iron, the corrosion is "bad," because it corrodes quickly, weakening the original steel material. However, if the metal atoms are some other metal that corrodes more slowly, like zinc or chromium, then the corrosion can actually be useful, because the oxide coat that forms from the reaction with these metals can prevent the bad type of corrosion. That's why steel is often mixed with other metals, like chromium. As the chromium corrodes, it forms a protective chromium oxide layer on the outside of the steel that greatly slows the corrosion of the iron in the steel. It keeps your stainless steel pots and pans looking shiny, not rusty, even when they're exposed to water every day when you cook with them or wash them. Other ways to prevent steel from rusting are to paint it or embed it in concrete. When iron and oxygen combine to make iron oxide (rust), heat is given off, which means the reaction is exothermic (exo means "out" and therm means "heat," so heat is sent out when the reaction occurs). The SOLTEQ Corrosion Studies Bench (Model BP 01) uses a number of simple items of equipment in a series of tests. The equipment refers principally to steel water systems for the study of rate of corrosion. The equipment comprises a support plinth on which up to 8 corrosion cells may be assembled and tested. The bench incorporates an air pump and distribution manifold to supply cells with air for the purposes of agitation. One cell can be directly connected to a supply of inert gas for this study. A low voltage D.C power supply provides the electrical potential for the investigation of electro-chemical corrosion effects. All connecting glass and plastic tubing are provided as the support for the specimens and glass test cells. A pH meter and electrode are supplied to ensure the correct strength of initial test solutions. Each test cell allows for the immersion of three similar test specimens in the test liquid at any one time, to eliminate rouge results from untypical metal samples. Each sample is

mounted in a manner that minimizes secondary effect and the metal surface of known area is exposed to the test liquid. Corrosion rates are measured by both visual observations and by direct weighing after a known period of immersion. Stirring is by air or inert gas agitation.

THEORY Concrete has an alkaline pore solution (pH 12.6) that guarantees the passivation of steelreinforcement in addition to be a physical barrier against the penetration of environmental aggressives.Corrosion is initiated when the pH drops either all along the steel surface, or locally. These ions need a certain critical concentration to induce corrosion. This threshold depends on several factors, one of which being the nature of the accompanying cation . When corrosion develops, Fe(II) ions are released, which hydrolyse water molecules giving Fe(OH)2 and protons as follows: Fe+2 + 2H2O Fe(OH)2 + 2H+. This reaction acidifies the surroundings of the poresolution as was well studied by Pourbaix et.The present work studies the corrosion of construction steel immersed in simulated concrete pore solutions during its progressive acidification due to the presence of increasing amounts of FeCl2 generated by active corrosion or due to the presence of NaCl (sea water). The concrete pore solution is basically composed of saturated Ca(OH)2 with variable amounts of NaOH and KOH. These basic solutions are first neutralized at the steel surface during active corrosionand then reach an acid pH value due to the generation of Fe+2 ions. In general, three regions in the corrosion current (Icorr) vs. pH diagram can be identified: (a) an acid region extending from pH = 0 to around 4.55, (b) a neutral region extending from 4.55 to 99.5 and (c) a basic region for pH values above 99.5. The general trend is sigmoid as function of pH value. In the acid region Icorr steeply decreases as pH increases. In the neutral region Icorr becomes almost independent of the pH value and in the basic region Icorr again decreases with increasing pH. This trend is rather general, although for a particular case, it depends on several other variables such as: oxygen concentration, anion type, stirring of the electrolyte, temperature, etc. In the present paper several solutions, simulating the conditions occurring within a pit or localized spot generated by chloride attack, have been prepared to study the corrosion behaviour of reinforcing steel. The behaviour under even more acidic solutions (as low as pH = 1) has also been studied. The results have been analysed in different ways in order to reach a better understanding of the role of the [Cl]/[OH] ratio on the depassivation threshold and on the kinetic aspects of the corrosion process of the metal/electrolyte system. Polarization curves, polarization resistance and EIS have been used as measuring techniques. Iron and steel corrode in acid environments but very little corrosion occurs in alkaline situations. The behaviour can be explained by reference to the electromotive series in which elements are arranged in order of the decreasing negative electrode potential when the element is immersed in an acid solution. Metals such as iron above hydrogen (more electro-negative) will displace it from solution and hence corrode, metals below hydrogen will not. An increase in the hydrogen ion concentration (more acid) +will tend to move hydrogen down he series and hence increase the voltage in the metal H system which will lead to higher corrosion.

Oxygen dissolved in water reacts with the protective ionic hydrogen leading to an increased in corrosion. Exceptions to the rule are those metals and alloys which resists corrosion by virtue of a surface oxide film. Sodium chloride solution will accelerate corrosion by increasing the number of ions and hence increasing local electric currents. Certain chemical additives to otherwise corrosive media can reduce corrosion by forming passivating layers on metal surfaces. A well-known example of this is the phosphating of steel prior to painting. The corrosion rate of steel in contact with zinc is considerably less than the corrosion rate in contact with copper. The effect is due to zinc being more electronegative than iron and hence steel is the cathode and thus protected by zinc which is sacrificed. Copper, on the other hand, is less electronegative than iron and hence steels forms the anode in contact with copper and will corrode. When platinum and steel are immersed in water and electrically connected, steel will become the anode and platinum be the cathode. Thus the steel will corrode. A voltage from an external source can be applied to make steel the cathode and platinum the anode. Corrosion can be increased by externally applied voltages which add to the naturally developed potential differences due to the positions of the metals in the electromotive series. WORKING EQUATION In this experiment,we just compare the Ph,the condition(rusting) and the weight of the steel before and after the experiment.

Figure 1 :The Corrosion Study Kits (Model: BP 01)