SEDL / STP / STP1239-EB / STP14914S

Effects of Silicon and Nickel Contents on the Atmospheric Corrosion Resistance of ASTM A588 Weathering Steel

Townsend, HE
Senior Research Consultant, Homer Research Laboratories, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Bethlehem, PA

Pages: 16    Published: Jan 1995

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Abstract

Nine ASTM A588 low-alloy weathering steels representing three levels of silicon and nickel were prepared by induction melting and hot rolling in the laboratory. Corrosion tests were conducted for eleven years at four atmospheric sites which included industrial, rural, and marine locations. The results were fitted to kinetic equations of the form, C= At^B, where C is the corrosion loss, t is time, and A and B are constants in accord with Method 1 of ASTM G101 “Standard Guide for Estimating the Atmospheric Corrosion Resistance of Low Alloy Steels.” Both silicon and nickel are shown to have a beneficial effect on the corrosion resistance of A588 weathering steel. For silicon, on average, each 0.1% increase results in a 4% decrease in corrosion loss after 11 years, a 6% decrease in corrosion rate after 11 years, and a 12% increase in the time to reach a 10-mil(250μm) penetration. For nickel, each 0.1% increase results in a 4% decrease in corrosion loss after 11 years, a 7% decrease in corrosion rate after 11 years, and a 15% increase in the time to reach a 10-mil (250(μm) penetration. By way of comparison, Method 2 of ASTM G101 predicts a 2% increase in the corrosion index for each 0.1% increase in silicon or nickel.