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Electrochemical Studies of Nitrate-Induced Pitting in Carbon Steel

Conference ·
OSTI ID:4875

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 degrees Celsius, 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 passive 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:
Savannah River Site
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-96SR18500
OSTI ID:
4875
Report Number(s):
WSRC-MS-98-00865; ON: DE00004875
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English