An Investigation on the Anodic Behavior of Low Alloy Steels Available to Purchase

The anodic behavior of three low alloy steels and one mild steel was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization measurements in bicarbonate, sulfate, and bisulfate solutions. Some significant features differentiated the steels as to their corrosion behavior in these media. These features were dependent on the alloying elements and were related to the practical performance of the steels in atmospheric corrosion tests. The effect of weathering on the anodic behavior of these materials in sulfate solution was evaluated by the use of polarization measurements on specimens artificially weathered by prolonged anodizing treatments at very low current densities.