Measurement of corrosion in soil using the galvanostatic pulse technique

•Galvanostatic pulse technique was successful in revealing corrosion related parameters in soil.•Clay and chloride influences on corrosion of ferrous alloys were presented.•A methodological framework for assessing soil aggressivity was given.

The galvanostatic pulse technique was applied in the soil environment, allowing the characterisation of corrosion rate and the double layer capacitance formed at the metal/soil interface. A well-controlled laboratory framework for assessing potential corrosivity amongst different soil samples was presented. The galvanostatic pulse technique and the suggested framework were used to evaluate the effect of varying clay and chloride contents on corrosion of common ferrous pipeline alloys. A coupled moisture-chloride effect induced by clay was used to explain the features of the electrical double layer. The study provides a reference for calibrating future corrosion experiments in soil media.