Modeling of aerosol transport as an aid to corrosivity assessment

Conference · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:20002527

Klassen, R D; Roberge, P R; Tullmin, M A

In certain regimes of atmospheric corrosion, the corrosion rate is limited not by electrochemical reactions but by the rate of mass transfer of pollutants. In these cases, a mass transfer model that accounts for the transport of pollutants, such as a marine salt aerosol, provides a theoretical and predictive framework for assessing corrosivity severity. Such a model of the transport of a marine aerosol fairly near the ground and well within the planetary boundary layer was developed. The predicted aerosol concentration as a function of distance for 1500 m from a steady source was consistent with published data on steel corrosion and salinity rates near an ocean. Implications from the model regarding objects that are exposed to aerosol-containing wind include: (1) increasing wind speed increases the aerosol deposition rate and therefore the corrosion rate, (2) objects that are in the lee of prevailing winds from an aerosol source will corrode faster than objects on the windward side of an aerosol source, and (3) smaller objects can be expected to corrode faster because of a greater capture efficiency of salt aerosols.

• Research Organization: Royal Military Coll. of Canada, Kingston, Ontario (CA)
• OSTI ID: 20002527
• Report Number(s): CONF-990401--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
AEROSOLS
ALLOYS
CHLORIDES
CORROSION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
WEATHERING