Stainless steels have been immersed in continuous and intermittent chlorinated seawater, and the effect on electrode potential and bacterial activity has been observed. Effective bacterial kill is obtained by continuous chlorination with 0.1 ppm residual chlorine. Intermittent chlorination is also effective with 1 ppm chlorination 30 minutes per day. No corrosion of 254 SMO or SAF 2507 was observed for chlorine concentrations up to 0.2 ppm. Time dependent changes in the open-circuit potential and in the cathodic polarization curves, with and without chlorination, seems to indicate changes in the electronic properties of the oxide film during immersion in seawater.

Subject
Materials, Cathodic potential, Metal surfaces, Chlorinated seawater, Chlorination, Natural seawater, Cathodic polarization curves, Seawater, Bacterial activity, Bacteria, Chlorine, Immersion, Stainless steel
Keywords:
cathodic polarization, chlorine, corrosion potential (Ecorr), microbiologically influenced corrosion, seawater, steels
National Association of Corrosion Engineers
1991
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