Atmospheric corrosion effects of SO{sub 2} and NO{sub 2}: A comparison of laboratory and field-exposed copper

Journal Article · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Journal of the Electrochemical Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2048529· OSTI ID:40310

Tidblad, J; Leygraf, C ^[1]

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1. Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden)

Laboratory exposures of copper have been performed at exposure conditions comparable to those in the UN ECE exposure program with respect to air flow conditions, relative humidity, and concentration of the gaseous pollutants sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Extrapolation of the weight increases in the laboratory experiments match well those obtained at the test sites with high sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide pollution levels. At these sites, sulfate and nitrate were the dominating surface constituents, as in the laboratory exposures. Additional constituents, detected in the laboratory, but not in the field, were sulfite and nitrite. At test sites with low pollution levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, weight increases were much higher than in the laboratory exposures. At these sites, sulfate and nitrate were detected, but the relative amount of nitrate was much lower compared to the sites with high levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. However, the amount of sulfate was practically the same. In addition, Cu{sub 2}O was identified as an important compound at some sites. Characteristic of all sites with low pollution levels of nitrogen dioxide are the high levels of ozone. Ozone was not included in the laboratory experiments, which could explain the discrepancy in weight increase. Laboratory experiments, investigating the combined effects of sulfur dioxide and ozone are presented in another publication. Both chloride and ammonia were detected as surface constituents on all field samples, confirming that salts and/or gaseous pollutants, other than sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, also are important for the understanding of atmospheric copper corrosion. However, the present investigation does not focus on these pollutants.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 40310
• Journal Information: Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Journal Name: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 142; ISSN JESOAN; ISSN 0013-4651
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
COPPER
COPPER OXIDES
CORROSION
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
SULFUR DIOXIDE