Influence of Fe3O4 particle size on corrosion of carbon steel under wet/dry cyclic conditions

Abstract

The influence of the particle size of Fe3O4 on the surface of steel on the corrosivity and electrochemical properties under wet/dry cyclic conditions was investigated. The results showed that Fe3O4 on the steel surface increases the cathodic current and corrosivity of the steel, but this effect is minor in the case of fine Fe3O4 particles. The diffusion mobility of cathodic reactants on the surface of fine Fe3O4 was evaluated by a molecular dynamics simulation, and the influence of the Fe3O4 rust particle size on the corrosion behavior of steel is discussed. It is probable that the diffusion mobility of cathodic reactants (H2O and O2) is low in between fine Fe3O4 particles, which significantly retards the cathodic reaction on Fe3O4 and the steel surface.