Effects of anions on corrosion behaviour of carbon steel in simulated groundwater in China

Abstract

Carbon steel is a candidate material for the disposal container of high-level nuclear waste in a deep geological repository in China, which will be subject to general corrosion and localised attack. In this work, the effects of Cl−, SO42– and CO32− concentrations on the general corrosion and crevice corrosion of carbon steel were studied by immersion tests and electrochemical measurements. The results show that Cl− promotes general corrosion, while SO42− and CO32− inhibit general corrosion. In a single ion solution, SO42− is the most obvious in promoting the crevice corrosion, which is different from the result of carbon steel in groundwater solution. Cl−, rather than SO42−, dominates the crevice corrosion process of carbon steel in groundwater solution. This paper is part of a supplement on the 6th International Workshop on Long-Term Prediction of Corrosion Damage in Nuclear Waste Systems.