Development of a simulated marine environment device for studying the simulated splash zone corrosion behavior of materials

Abstract

This study presents the design and validation of a laboratory-scale Simulated Marine Environment Device (SMED) capable of simulating multiple marine corrosion zones simultaneously on a single specimen. It can be used to simulate the waves inside the testing chamber and the waves amplitude can be varied. Simulated splash zone corrosion behavior as well as the combined effect of various corrosive zones, such as atmospheric zone, splash zone, tidal, and immersion zone around the water line were studied on a single mild steel sample. The control system of the instrument enables quick understanding of corrosion mechanism as a function of multiple environmental conditions, like complete immersion below the water line, atmospheric zone, splash and tidal zones. Splash and tidal zones experience alternate wetting and drying above and below the water line, respectively. At the end of exposure, corrosion severity of steel across different zones followed the decreasing order: splash zone > immersion zone > tidal zone > atmospheric zone. The corrosion patterns obtained from the simulated marine environment device for the various corrosive zones are affirmed with corrosion patterns of the real-time offshore structure.