Effects of chloride and crevice on corrosion resistance of stainless steels buried in soil within Seoul Metropolitan

Abstract

Field and laboratory tests were conducted to find the factors affecting corrosion of stainless steels in soil. During one-year exposure, corrosion occurred within a joint and on the surface of type 304 pipe with the joint, which was buried at the site with a high chloride concentration of about 3680 ppm; however, corrosion was not observed at any of the other sites independent of the stainless steel grade and the presence of joints. At some sites, a seasonal fluctuation of corrosion potential was observed in the soil though corrosion did not occur. This observation may be due to the activity of sulfate reducing bacteria because a decrease of corrosion potential with the inoculated bacteria did not cause corrosion of stainless steels. These results indicate that both the level of chloride and the presence of crevices are the main factors affecting corrosion of stainless steels in soil but that the activity of bacteria is not. From measurements of pitting potential, a guideline for stainless steel use in soil is drawn as follows: Corrosion of stainless steels in soil occurs when the pitting potential of stainless steel under crevices in synthetic ground water that contains the same chloride concentration as the soil is less than the saddle potential. Finally, the guideline for stainless steels applications was provided in this paper according to this criterion.