Electrochemical behaviour of steel in contaminated concrete powder solution extracts

Abstract

The main cause of reinforced concrete degradation is the corrosion of reinforcing steel. This paper reports the influence of chloride and sulfate ions on steel reinforcement corrosion. In the present work, concrete specimens were admixed with sodium chloride, sodium sulfate and magnesium sulfate. The concentration of sodium sulfate and magnesium sulfate is fixed at 3 % whereas the concentration of sodium chlorideis varied as 3, 5, and 7 %. Tempcore TMT steel, Were used in the present experimentalinvestigation. Concrete powder was obtained by crushing concrete specimens those wereadmixed with different concentrations of chloride and sulfate ions. The electrochemical behaviour of steel has been evaluated by conducting potentiodynamic polarizationstudy on steel in contaminated concrete powder solution extracts. On the basis of the results obtained, ranges of potential for different zones of corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete powder solution extracts contaminated with composite chlorideand sulfate ions have been obtained.