Comparative Cathodic Behavior of ~9% Cr and Plain Steel Reinforcement in Concrete Available to Purchase

The extent of the oxygen reduction reaction in concrete was evaluated for ~9% Cr rebar approaching the ASTM A1035 specification and compared to that of conventional carbon steel rebar, at ages of up to ~1 year. Cathodic strength was measured by the cathodic current density developed at −0.35 V vs. copper/copper sulfate (Cu/CuSO₄ [CSE]) and −0.40 V_CSE in cyclic cathodic potentiodynamic polarization tests, both in the as-received condition with mill scale and with scale removed by glass bead surface blasting. In both conditions the ~9% Cr alloy was a substantially weaker cathode, by a factor of several fold, than carbon steel. Within each material, the surface-blasted condition yielded also much lower cathodic current density than the as-received condition. For a small anode-large cathode system with a given anode polarization function, and no important oxygen reduction concentration polarization, the corrosion current was projected to be significantly lower if the cathodic region were ~9% Cr instead of plain steel rebar with comparable surface condition. There was strong correlation between the charge storage capability of the interface and the extent of cathodic reaction of oxygen. The result cannot be ascribed solely to differences in effective surface area between the different materials and conditions.