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Electrochemical studies of nitrate-induced pitting in carbon steel

Conference ·
OSTI ID:20002567

The phenomenon of pitting in carbon steel exposed to alkaline solutions of nitrate and chloride was studied with the cyclic potentiodynamic polarization technique. Open-circuit and pitting potentials were measured on specimens of ASTM A537 carbon steel in pH 9.73 salt solutions at 40 C, with and without the inhibiting nitrite ion present. Nitrate is not so aggressive a pitting agent as is chloride. Both nitrate and chloride did induce passivity breakdown and pitting in nitrite-free solutions, but the carbon steel retained passivity in solutions with 0.11 M nitrite even at a nitrate concentration of 2.2 M.

Research Organization:
Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (US)
OSTI ID:
20002567
Report Number(s):
CONF-990401--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English