Galvanic corrosion of carbon steel–brass couple in chloride containing water and the effect of different parameters

• Galvanic corrosion behavior of carbon steel–brass couple in sea water was studied.
• The effect of flow velocity on galvanic currents was investigated. New findings were attained.
• Effect of temperature on the galvanic currents was investigated in stationary and flow conditions.
• New findings were attained concerning the effect of area and corrosion products layer on the galvanic current.

Galvanic corrosion of carbon steel–brass couple in 3% NaCl solution was investigated under different operating conditions. The effects of ranges of operating conditions such as rotational velocity, temperature, area ratio , and time on the galvanic currents were investigated and discussed. The results showed that, increasing area ratio of carbon steel to brass, led to an increase in the galvanic current. The current density on each metal of the couple and the galvanic potential had unstable trend with area ratio. The rise in temperature from 25 °C to 45 °C, increased the galvanic current two times in stationary conditions and more than three times under flow conditions shifting the potentials to more negative. The rotational velocity of fluid has an appreciable effect on the galvanic current especially in the presence of corrosion products formed on the anode, i.e. carbon steel. The formation of corrosion products with time on carbon steel, reduced the galvanic current in stationary conditions and caused a considerable increase in it in flow conditions.