Comprehensive Empirical Equation for Assessing Atmospheric Corrosion Progression of Steel Considering Environmental Parameters

Abstract

Atmospheric corrosion is a natural surface degradation process of metal due to changes in environmental parameters in the surrounding atmosphere. It is very sensitive to environmental parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, sulphur dioxide, and chloride, making it a major global economic challenge. Existing forecasting empirical corrosion models including the ISO standard are based on statistical analysis of experimental studies without considering the behavior of atmospheric parameters. The present study proposes a reliable global empirical model for estimating short and long-term atmospheric corrosion rates based on environmental parameters and corrosion mechanisms obtained from a parametric study. Repercussion of atmospheric corrosion rate due to individual and combined influences of environmental parameters specifies their importance in the estimation. New global empirical coefficients obtained for environmental parameters are statistically established (R2 =0.998) with 95% confidence limit. They are validated using experimental datasets of existing studies observed at 88 different continental locations. The current proposed model can predict atmospheric corrosion by means of corrosion formation mechanisms influenced by combined effects of environmental parameters, further abating applicability limitations of location and time.