Cathodic protection requirements for high strength steel in sea water assessed by potentiostatic weight loss measurements

Abstract

Abstract A potentiostatic weight loss technique has been used to compare the corrosion rates of Weldox 700 high strength low alloy steel exposed to both natural and sterile sea water at potentials ranging from the free corrosion condition to - 1000 mV (SCE). Anodic polarisation curves with Tafel constants of 54 and 64 mV per decade were fitted to the data and the minimum levels of protection required to limit the corrosion rate to 0·001 mm per year were found to be - 770 and - 790 mV (SCE) in natural and sterile sea water, respectively. Lower corrosion rates occurred in filtered natural sea water than in sterile sea water but the highest rates were recorded on specimens ex posed to a seabed sediment. The reasons for this behaviour are discussed in terms of the biofilms and the numbers of sulphate reducing bacteria present on the surfaces.