Corrosion Rate
Corrosion Rate Units and
Calculations
• The corrosion rate in mils (1 mil=0.001-in.) penetration per year (MPY) may be
calculatbd from
• where W is weight loss in milligrams, D is density in grams per cubic centimeter,
A is area in square inches, and T is time in hours.
• Equation (6) can be derived readily by dimensional analysis.
• Other units fot W, D, A, and T simply change the value of the constant 534, as
discussed later in this section.
• Units of penetration per unit time are most desirable from an engineering
standpoint, but weight loss per unit area per unit time, often milligrams per
square decimeter per day (mdd), are sometimes used in research.
• For conversion, 1 MPY = 1.44 (mdd)/specific gravity
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Corrosion rate conversion
• Conversions to equivalent metric penetration rates are:
• 1 mpy = 0.0254 mm/yr
• 1 mpy = 25.4 μm/yr
• 1 mpy = 2.9 nm/h
• 1 mpy = 0.805 pm/s,
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Corrosion rate in metric units
• The proportionality constant, 534, in equattn (6) varies depending on
the units required for corrosion rate and used for the parameters in the
equation.
• where W,D, and T have the same units as for equation (6) but area, A, is
measured in square centimeters.
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Faraday's Law
• Electrochemical reactions either produce or consume electrons.
• Thus, the rate of electron flow to or from a reacting interface is a
measure of reaction rate.
• Electron flow is conveniently measured as current, I, in amperes, where
1-ampere is equal to 1-coulomb of charge (6.2 x 1018 electrons) per
second.
• The proportionality between I and mass reacted, m, in an
electrochemical reaction is given by Faraday‘s Law:
• where F is Faraday's constant (96,500 coulombs/equivalent), n the
number of equivalents exchanged, a the atomic weight, and t the time.
• Using the anodic reaction for zinc as an example:
Zn Zn2+ + 2e-. (2)
• Two equivalents are transferred for each atomic weight reacted.
• Thus, n = 2, ,and n is, in effect, the number of electrons transferred or the
oxidation number changed during the reaction
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Faraday's Law
• Dividing equation (1) through by t and the surface area, A, yields
the corrosion rate, r:
• where i, defined as current density, equals I/A. Equation (3)
shows a proportionality between, mass loss per unit area per unit
time (e.g., mg/cm2/day):and current density (e.g., μA/cm2).
• The proportionality constant includes a/nF and any conversion
factors for units.
• Current density rather than current is proportional to corrosion
rate because the same current concentrated into a smaller..
surface area results in a larger corrosion rate.
• Corrosion rate is inversely proportional to area for the same,
dissolving current.
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Faraday's Law
• Current density can be routinely and precisely measured to values as
low as 10-9 A/cm2 up to several A/cm2
• Thus, electrochemical measurements are very sensitive and convenient
tools for the study of corrosion in the laboratory and the field.
• Units of penetration per unit time result from dividing equation (3) by
the density, D, of the alloy.
• For corrosion rate in mils (0.001 in.) per year (mpy), equation (3)
becomes
• for units of i, μA/cm2, and D, g/cm3, The proportionality constant, 0.129
becomes 0.00327 and 3.27 for mm/yr and μm/yr, respectively.
• The equivalence for iron between a current density of 1 μA/cm2 and
mpy is
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Penetration rates equivalent to
1μA/cm 2
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Penetration rates equivalent
• Calculation of correspondence between penetration rate and current
density for an alloy requires a determination of the equivalent
weight, a/n, in equations (3) and (4) for the alloy.
• This alloy equivalent weight is a weighted average of a/n for the
major alloying elements in any given alloy.
• The recommended procedure for calculation of equivalent weight
sums the fractional number of equivalents of all alloying elements to
determine the total number of equivalents, NEQ which result from
dissolving unit mass of the alloy. That is,
• Where fi, ni and ai are mass fraction, electrons exchanged, and
atomic weight, respectively, of the ith alloying element.
• Equivalent weight, EW, is then the reciprocal of NEQ or EW=NEQ-1
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Penetration rates equivalent
• Calculation of equivalent weight for Type 304 stainless steel is
given in the following example, assuming the following
parameters for the alloy:
Cr: 19%, n = 3;
Ni: 9.25%, n = 2;
Fe: 71.75%, n = 2.
• All other minor elements below 1 % are neglected. From
equation (5),
• Equivalent weight for Type 304 stainless steel is then the
reciprocal of 0.03981 or 25.12
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