Corrosion behavior and mechanism of carbon steel in industrial circulating cooling water system operated by electrochemical descaling technology

Electrochemical descaling technology (EDT) can significantly increase the concentration ratio of industrial circulating cooling water systems (CCWSs), thereby reducing water, capital, and energy consumption. However, our understanding of the impact of EDT on carbon steel corrosion in CCWSs is limited, which increases the risk of long-term operation. In this study, the influence of the EDT on the corrosion characteristics of carbon steel was comprehensively investigated in field CCWSs (E-CCWSs) and compared with a system using traditional chemical processes (C-CCWSs). The corrosion characteristics, corrosion products, and corrosion mechanism of carbon steel have been studied using various testing methods, including the weight loss method, electrochemical testing, Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM), Advanced Mineral Identification and Characterization System (AMICS), etc. The research showed that the corrosion behavior of carbon steel in a circulating water system was similar and could be divided into three stages: the initial stage (corrosion rate increased), middle stage (corrosion rate slowed down gradually), and later stage (corrosion rate was stable). Owing to the lack of the corrosion inhibitor film, the corrosion rate of carbon steel in the electrochemical circulating water system was faster in the initial stage. However, the rapidly thickened corrosion product layer had a protective effect on the carbon steel. The corrosion of carbon steel entered the middle and late stages faster, and the corrosion rate decreased rapidly and tended to stabilize. In the long term, the corrosion rate of carbon steel in the electrochemical system was slightly lower than that in the chemical system. E-CCWS encounter serious pitting problems. At 120 days, the pitting depth in electrochemical systems was 108.22 mu m, almost twice as deep as that in chemicals (54.79 mu m). This research has important reference value for corrosion prevention and risk assessment of EDT for practical applications.