Influence of alloying elements on the marine corrosion of low alloy steels

The study of steel marine corrosion leads to the survey of the parameters having an influence on this phenomenon. These parameters may be dependent on the seawater environment or on steel characteristics. Thus it appears that an experimental procedure could be set up in order to simulate immersion conditions in natural seawater. The system allows fifteen different steels with compositions ranging from carbon steels to stainless steels to be tested during some 14 months in natural seawater with or without microbiological activity. Electrochemical and gravimetric measurements are performed on immersed steel samples. Microbiological analyses are carried out either on the metallic surface and on the liquid medium. Possible influences of alloying elements and bacteria are studied. After a two-month immersion, first results show an influence of the chromium content on the steel corrosion resistance and on marine bacteria behaviour. They also reveal that the biofilm formed onto the carbon steel and low alloy steels surfaces tends to slow down the generalized corrosion or to increase localized corrosion depending on the steel alloying elements content.