Shape and size effects for marine immersion coupons

Abstract The conventional wisdom in corrosion testing is that the size of the coupon and its perimeter/area ratio (the surface area of the perimeter expressed as a percentage of the total surface area) are important parameters and that these will have an effect on the results obtained. In order to test this proposition, sets of mild steel coupons of the same exposed areas but having different perimeters were immersed in a marine environment. Corrosion mass loss was observed for area/perimeter ratios in the range 3·52-6·03%. Mass loss observations were taken at various times to 12 months. Sets of rectangular coupons of different sizes (50 × 100 mm and 100 × 200 mm) were also immersed. The results indicate that any variation caused by shape or size falls within the expected variability of corrosion at a test location.