Semiconducting Behavior of Carbon Steel in Electrolyte Solution

Abstract

In this paper, the semiconducting behavior of carbon steel in acid, base and salt solutions was studied by utiliz- ing potential-capacitance and Mott-Schottky analysis. It was pointed out that the capacitance variation of space charge layer of carbon steel in different solution was different. The carbon steel showed p-type semiconducting behavior in 5% sulfuric acid and 5% sodium sulfate solution. However, the carbon steel showed n-type semiconducting behavior in 5% sodium hydroxide. It was suggested that the space charge layer of the carbon steel in different electrolytes might be asymmetric.