Effects of blending of desalinated and conventionally treated surface water on iron corrosion and its release from corroding surfaces and pre-existing scales

• Iron corrosion and release in desalinated water blends.
• Decreased soluble iron release with higher percentage of desalinated water.
• Formation of more crystalline corrosion products in desalinated water.
• Likelihood of less-protective corroding surface in desalinated water.
• Effects of natural organic matter, chloride, sulfate and calcium levels.

This study examined effects of blending desalinated water with conventionally treated surface water on iron corrosion and release from corroding metal surfaces and pre-existing scales exposed to waters having varying fractions of desalinated water, alkalinities, pH values and orthophosphate levels. The presence of desalinated water resulted in markedly decreased 0.45 μm-filtered soluble iron concentrations. However, higher fractions of desalinated water in the blends were also associated with more fragile corroding surfaces, lower retention of iron oxidation products and release of larger iron particles in the bulk water. SEM, XRD and XANES data showed that in surface water, a dense layer of amorphous ferrihydrite phase predominated in the corrosion products. More crystalline surface phases developed in the presence of desalinated water. These solid phases transformed from goethite to lepidocrocite with increased fraction of desalinated water. These effects are likely to result from a combination of chemical parameters, notably variations of the concentrations of natural organic matter, calcium, chloride and sulfate when desalinated and conventionally treated waters are blended.

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