Effects of Mill Scale and Steel Type on Passivation and Accelerated Corrosion Behavior of Reinforcing Steels in Concrete
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32, Issue 4
Abstract
The influence of mill scale and steel type on the passivation capability and impressed current-induced accelerated corrosion behavior of reinforcing steels in concrete was studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and backscattered electron (BSE) images. Conventional low-carbon (LC) reinforcing steel and Cr-bearing low-alloy (LA) reinforcing steel with and without mill scale were prepared. After natural passivation and accelerated corrosion, it was confirmed that the initial passivation capability of steels and the corrosion-induced concrete cracking were significantly affected by the mill scale on steel surface. Also, the steel type played an important role on the characteristics of the corrosion layers as well as the long-term passivation capability. Furthermore, the corrosion pattern of steels induced by this accelerated corrosion was compared with that after long-term natural exposure to chloride solution.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge financial support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51678144) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20161420).
References
Ahmad, S. 2003. “Reinforcement corrosion in concrete structures, its monitoring and service life prediction—A review.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 25 (4): 459–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0958-9465(02)00086-0.
Alhozaimy, A., R. R. Hussain, and A. Al-Negheimish. 2016. “Significance of oxygen concentration on the quality of passive film formation for steel reinforced concrete structures during the initial curing of concrete.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 65 (Jan): 171–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2015.10.022.
Al-Negheimish, A., A. Alhozaimy, R. R. Hussain, R. Al-Zaid, J. K. Singh, and D. D. N. Singh. 2014. “Role of manganese sulfide inclusions in steel rebar in the formation and breakdown of passive films in concrete pore solutions.” Corrosion 70 (1): 74–86. https://doi.org/10.5006/0941.
Angst, U., B. Elsener, C. K. Larsen, and Ø. Vennesland. 2009. “Critical chloride content in reinforced concrete—A review.” Cem. Concr. Res. 39 (12): 1122–1138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2009.08.006.
Angst, U. M., et al. 2017. “The steel–concrete interface.” Mater. Struct. 50 (2): 143. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-017-1010-1.
Angst, U. M. 2018. “Challenges and opportunities in corrosion of steel in concrete.” Mater. Struct. 51 (1): 4. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-017-1131-6.
Babaee, M., M. S. H. Khan, A. Castel, M. Babaee, M. S. H. Khan, and A. Castel. 2018. “Passivity of embedded reinforcement in carbonated low-calcium fly ash-based geopolymer concrete.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 85 (Jan): 32–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2017.10.001.
Caré, S., Q. T. Nguyen, K. Beddiar, and Y. Berthaud. 2010. “Times to cracking in reinforced mortar beams subjected to accelerated corrosion tests.” Mater. Struct. 43 (1–2): 107–124. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-009-9474-2.
Caré, S., Q. T. Nguyen, V. L’Hostis, and Y. Berthaud. 2008. “Mechanical properties of the rust layer induced by impressed current method in reinforced mortar.” Cem. Concr. Res. 38 (8): 1079–1091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2008.03.016.
Chen, Z. T., G. H. Zhang, and E. H. Yang. 2018. “Study of steel corrosion in strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCC) via electrochemical techniques.” Electrochim. Acta 261 (Jan): 402–411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2017.12.170.
Díaz, B., B. Guitián, X. R. Nóvoa, and M. C. Pérez. 2018. “The effect of long-term atmospheric aging and temperature on the electrochemical behaviour of steel rebars in mortar.” Corros. Sci. 140 (Aug): 143–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2018.06.007.
Ding, L., and A. Poursaee. 2017. “The impact of sandblasting as a surface modification method on the corrosion behavior of steels in simulated concrete pore solution.” Constr. Build. Mater. 157 (Dec): 591–599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.09.140.
Duffó, G. S., M. Reinoso, C. P. Ramos, and S. B. Farina. 2012. “Characterization of steel rebars embedded in a 70-year old concrete structure.” Cem. Concr. Res. 42 (1): 111–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2011.08.003.
El Maaddawy, T. A., and K. A. Soudki. 2003. “Effectiveness of impressed current technique to simulate corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 15 (1): 41–47. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2003)15:1(41).
Ghods, P., O. B. Isgor, G. J. C. Carpenter, J. Li, G. A. Mcrae, and G. P. Gu. 2013. “Nano-scale study of passive films and chloride-induced depassivation of carbon steel rebar in simulated concrete pore solutions using FIB/TEM.” Cem. Concr. Res. 47 (5): 55–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2013.01.009.
Ghods, P., O. B. Isgor, G. McRae, and T. Miller. 2009. “The effect of concrete pore solution composition on the quality of passive oxide films on black steel reinforcement.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 31 (1): 2–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2008.10.003.
Ghods, P., O. B. Isgor, G. A. McRae, J. Li, and G. P. Gu. 2011. “Microscopic investigation of mill scale and its proposed effect on the variability of chloride-induced depassivation of carbon steel rebar.” Corros. Sci. 53 (3): 946–954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2010.11.025.
Hussain, R. R., A. Alhozaimy, A. Al Negheimish, R. Al-Zaid, and D. D. N. Singh. 2015. “Mechanism of nucleation and growth of passive film on steel reinforcing bar at different durations of its exposure in concrete pore solution at nanoscale.” ACI Mater. J. 112 (4): 523–534. https://doi.org/10.14359/51687662.
Hussain, R. R., A. Alhozaimy, A. Al-Negheimish, and D. Singh. 2014. “Time-dependent variation of the electrochemical impedance for thermo-mechanically treated versus plain low alloy steel rebars in contact with simulated concrete pore solution.” Constr. Build. Mater. 73 (Dec): 283–288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.09.099.
Hussain, R. R., J. K. Singh, A. Alhozaimy, A. Al-Negheimish, C. Bhattacharya, R. S. Pathania, and D. D. N. Singh. 2018. “Effect of reinforcing bar microstructure on passive film exposed to simulated concrete pore solution.” ACI Mater. J. 115 (2): 181–190. https://doi.org/10.14359/51701237.
Itty, P.-A., M. Serdar, C. Meral, D. Parkinson, A. A. MacDowell, D. Bjegović, and P. J. Monteiro. 2014. “In situ 3D monitoring of corrosion on carbon steel and ferritic stainless steel embedded in cement paste.” Corros. Sci. 83 (Jun): 409–418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2014.03.010.
Jaffer, S. J., and C. M. Hansson. 2009. “Chloride-induced corrosion products of steel in cracked-concrete subjected to different loading conditions.” Cem. Concr. Res. 39 (2): 116–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2008.11.001.
John, D. G., P. C. Searson, and J. L. Dawson. 1981. “Use of AC impedance technique in studies on steel in concrete in immersed conditions.” Br. Corros. J. 16 (2): 102–106. https://doi.org/10.1179/000705981798275002.
Khan, M. S. 1991. “Corrosion state of reinforcing steel in concrete at early ages.” ACI Mater. J. 88 (1): 37–40.
Liu, M., X. Q. Cheng, X. G. Li, Z. Jin, and H. X. Liu. 2015. “Corrosion behavior of Cr modified HRB400 steel rebar in simulated concrete pore solution.” Constr. Build. Mater. 93 (Sep): 884–890. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.05.073.
Liu, M., X. Q. Cheng, X. G. Li, and T. J. Lu. 2017. “Corrosion behavior of low-Cr steel rebars in alkaline solutions with different pH in the presence of chlorides.” J. Electroanal. Chem. 803 (Oct): 40–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelechem.2017.09.016.
Liu, M., X. Q. Cheng, G. C. Zhao, X. G. Li, and Y. Pan. 2016. “Corrosion resistances of passive films on low-Cr steel and carbon steel in simulated concrete pore solution.” Surf. Interface Anal. 48 (9): 981–989. https://doi.org/10.1002/sia.6002.
Mahallati, E., and M. Saremi. 2006. “An assessment on the mill scale effects on the electrochemical characteristics of steel bars in concrete under DC-polarization.” Cem. Concr. Res. 36 (7): 1324–1329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2006.03.015.
Mancio, M., G. Kusinski, P. Monteiro, and T. Devine. 2009. “Electrochemical and in-situ SERS study of passive film characteristics and corrosion performance of 9% Cr microcomposite steel in highly alkaline environments.” J. ASTM Int. 6 (5): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1520/JAI101903.
Marcotte, T. D., and C. M. Hansson. 2007. “Corrosion products that form on steel within cement paste.” Mater. Struct. 40 (3): 325–340. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-006-9170-4.
Michel, A., B. J. Pease, A. Peterová, M. R. Geiker, H. Stang, and A. E. A. Thybo. 2014. “Penetration of corrosion products and corrosion-induced cracking in reinforced cementitious materials: Experimental investigations and numerical simulations.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 47 (Mar): 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2013.04.011.
Ming, J., J. J. Shi, and W. Sun. 2018. “Effect of mill scale on the long-term corrosion resistance of a low-alloy reinforcing steel in concrete subjected to chloride solution.” Constr. Build. Mater. 163 (Feb): 508–517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.12.125.
Mohammed, T. U., and H. Hamada. 2006. “Corrosion of steel bars in concrete with various steel surface conditions.” ACI Mater. J. 103 (4): 233–242.
Montemor, M. F., A. M. P. Simões, and M. G. S. Ferreira. 2003. “Chloride-induced corrosion on reinforcing steel: From the fundamentals to the monitoring techniques.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 25 (4): 491–502. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0958-9465(02)00089-6.
Monticelli, C., M. Natali, A. Balbo, C. Chiavari, F. Zanotto, S. Manzi, and M. Bignozzi. 2016. “A study on the corrosion of reinforcing bars in alkali-activated fly ash mortars under wet and dry exposures to chloride solutions.” Cem. Concr. Res. 87 (Sep): 53–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2016.05.010.
Morozov, Y., A. S. Castela, A. P. S. Dias, and M. F. Montemor. 2013. “Chloride-induced corrosion behavior of reinforcing steel in spent fluid cracking catalyst modified mortars.” Cem. Concr. Res. 47 (5): 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2013.01.011.
Nishimura, T. 2015. “Nano structure of the rust formed on chromium bearing steel in concrete after wet and dry corrosion test.” ISIJ Int. 55 (8): 1739–1746. https://doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2015-055.
O’Reilly, M., J. Sperry, D. Darwin, J. Lafikes, I. Somogie, S. Storm, and J. Browning. 2017. “Corrosion performance of poorly pickled stainless steel reinforcement.” ACI Mater. J. 114 (6): 839–845.
Paul, S. C., A. J. Babafemi, K. Conradie, and G. P. A. G. van Zijl. 2017. “Applied voltage on corrosion mass loss and cracking behavior of steel-reinforced SHCC and mortar specimens.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 29 (5): 04016272. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001807.
Pech-Canul, M., and P. Castro. 2002. “Corrosion measurements of steel reinforcement in concrete exposed to a tropical marine atmosphere.” Cem. Concr. Res. 32 (3): 491–498. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-8846(01)00713-X.
Pillai, R. G., and D. Trejo. 2005. “Surface condition effects on critical chloride threshold of steel reinforcement.” ACI Mater. J. 102 (2): 103–109.
Poursaee, A., and C. M. Hansson. 2007. “Reinforcing steel passivation in mortar and pore solution.” Cem. Concr. Res. 37 (7): 1127–1133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2007.04.005.
Poursaee, A., and C. M. Hansson. 2009. “Potential pitfalls in assessing chloride-induced corrosion of steel in concrete.” Cem. Concr. Res. 39 (5): 391–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2009.01.015.
Qiao, H., B. Zhu, Q. Feng, N. Desire, and J. Dong. 2018. “Accelerated life testing of reinforced concrete based on performance degradation and reliability modeling.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 30 (5): 04018071. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002225.
Šavija, B., M. Luković, S. A. S. Hosseini, J. Pacheco, and E. Schlangen. 2015. “Corrosion induced cover cracking studied by X-ray computed tomography, nanoindentation, and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS).” Mater. Struct. 48 (7): 2043–2062. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-014-0292-9.
Shi, J., and J. Ming. 2017a. “Influence of defects at the steel-mortar interface on the corrosion behavior of steel.” Constr. Build. Mater. 136 (Apr): 118–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.01.007.
Shi, J., J. Ming, and W. Sun. 2017. “Passivation and chloride-induced corrosion of a duplex alloy steel in alkali-activated slag extract solutions.” Constr. Build. Mater. 155 (Nov): 992–1002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.08.117.
Shi, J., J. Ming, and W. Sun. 2018a. “Accelerated corrosion behavior of steel in concrete subjected to sustained flexural loading using electrochemical methods and X-ray computed tomography.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 30 (7): 04018131. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002337.
Shi, J., J. Ming, and W. Sun. 2018b. “Electrochemical behaviour of a novel alloy steel in alkali-activated slag mortars.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 92 (Sep): 110–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2018.06.004.
Shi, J., J. Ming, and W. Sun. 2018c. “Influence of surface condition on the electrochemical behavior of alloy steel in saturated solution.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 30 (9): 04018212. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002423.
Shi, J., J. Ming, Y. Zhang, and J. Jiang. 2018d. “Corrosion products and corrosion-induced cracks of low-alloy steel and low-carbon steel in concrete.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 88 (Apr): 121–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2018.02.002.
Shi, J., W. Sun, J. Jiang, and Y. Zhang. 2016. “Influence of chloride concentration and pre-passivation on the pitting corrosion resistance of low-alloy reinforcing steel in simulated concrete pore solution.” Constr. Build. Mater. 111 (May): 805–813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.02.107.
Shi, J., D. Wang, J. Ming, and W. Sun. 2018e. “Long-term electrochemical behavior of low-alloy steel in simulated concrete pore solution with chlorides.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 30 (4): 04018042. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002194.
Shi, J.-J., and J. Ming. 2017b. “Influence of mill scale and rust layer on the corrosion resistance of low-alloy steel in simulated concrete pore solution.” Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater. 24 (1): 64–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-017-1379-4.
Singh, J., and D. Singh. 2012. “The nature of rusts and corrosion characteristics of low alloy and plain carbon steels in three kinds of concrete pore solution with salinity and different pH.” Corros. Sci. 56 (Mar): 129–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2011.11.012.
Yuan, Y., Y. Ji, and S. P. Shah. 2007. “Comparison of two accelerated corrosion techniques for concrete structures.” ACI Struct. J. 104 (3): 344–347.
Zhang, Y., and A. Poursaee. 2014. “Passivation and corrosion behavior of carbon steel in simulated concrete pore solution under tensile and compressive stresses.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 27 (8): 04014234. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001199.
Zhao, Y. X., J. F. Dong, Y. Y. Wu, and W. L. Jin. 2016. “Corrosion-induced concrete cracking model considering corrosion product-filled paste at the concrete/steel interface.” Constr. Build. Mater. 116 (Jul): 273–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.04.097.
Zhao, Y. X., H. Y. Ren, H. Dai, and W. L. Jin. 2011. “Composition and expansion coefficient of rust based on X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis.” Corros. Sci. 53 (5): 1646–1658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2011.01.007.
Zhao, Y. X., Y. Y. Wu, and W. L. Jin. 2013. “Distribution of millscale on corroded steel bars and penetration of steel corrosion products in concrete.” Corros. Sci. 66 (1): 160–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2012.09.014.
Zhou, Y., B. Gencturk, K. Willam, and A. Attar. 2014. “Carbonation-induced and chloride-induced corrosion in reinforced concrete structures.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 27 (9): 04014245. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001209.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32 • Issue 4 • April 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 21, 2018
Accepted: Sep 30, 2019
Published online: Jan 22, 2020
Published in print: Apr 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jun 22, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.