Study of the corrosion behavior of weathering steels in atmospheric environments

The effect of chemical composition of steel and environmental conditions on the atmospheric corrosion behavior of weathering steel and carbon steel exposed in the different environments has been investigated. The results showed that the corrosion rate of weathering steel was lower compared with carbon steel due to the alloying additions of Cr, Cu, P, and Ni. The different environmental factor affected the corrosion behavior of steel in the different stages. The chemical composition of steel and environmental conditions influenced the corrosion rate, as well as the morphology and composition of the rust layer.

► The corrosion rate of weathering steel is lower compared with carbon steel.
► The alloying additions result in the protective rust layer.
► The effect of SO2 concentration plays a major role in the initial stages.
► The time of wet and Cl− concentration are important mainly in the later stages.
► The different alloying element plays a major role in different environments.