Corrosion is a major concern throughout the world--various sources suggest the cost is equivalent to about 4% of the gross national product. Twenty percent of that is estimated to be due to atmospheric corrosion.

Because the Arctic and Subarctic regions are, on the average, colder than the more temperate regions, it is reasonable to expect lower corrosion rates, possibly to the degree of being unimportant. There are two major reasons why this expectation is incorrect. Primarily the temperature function is more due to time of wetness rather than the actual temperature. Further, other factors, such as pollution, influence the corrosion rate more strongly than does temperature. The second reason for not neglecting corrosion is not that the corrosion rate is necessarily large but that failure due to corrosion can be critical, particularly during the winter or in remote areas.

As a result of these needs, Battelle-Northwest and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities have initiated a small atmospheric test site in Anchorage. The results to date show the corrosion rates of mild steel to be approximately the same as those in similar areas.

Subject
Atmospheric corrosion, Costs, Test methods, Materials, Precipitation (solids), Corrosion rate, Atmosphere, Climate, Transportation, Steel, Carbon steel, Corrosion protection, Alloys
© 1986 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1986
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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