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. 2021 Nov 15;14(22):6883.
doi: 10.3390/ma14226883.

Electrochemical Study of Clean and Pre-Corroded Reinforcements Embedded in Mortar Samples with Variable Amounts of Chloride Ions

María de Las Nieves González  1 , María Isabel Prieto  1 , Alfonso Cobo  1 , Fernando Israel Olmedo  2
Affiliations

Electrochemical Study of Clean and Pre-Corroded Reinforcements Embedded in Mortar Samples with Variable Amounts of Chloride Ions

María de Las Nieves González et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

The present study investigates the possibility of re-surfacing previously corroded reinforcements and the suitability of the two electrochemical techniques that are widely used to determine the state of corrosion of steel (the corrosion potential Ecorr and the corrosion rate icorr). In order to test this, 32 pre-corroded B500SD reinforcing steel bars have been used for one year, where half of the bars have been cleaned to eliminate corrosion products. The other half have been maintained with the generated corrosion products. Subsequently, the bars have been embedded in cement mortar samples with variable amounts of chloride ion, and Ecorr and icorr have been measured for 250 days. The results showed that it is not possible to rework the reinforcement without removing corrosion products and that it is not possible to predict the passive or active state of steel by measuring Ecorr only.

Keywords: corrosion; electrochemical techniques; reinforcement; repassivation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chloride corrosion mechanism in reinforced concrete structures.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Specimens used in the study of corrosion. (a) Symptoms in pre-corroded specimens (first phase); (b) Scheme of the specimens with variable amounts of chloride ion (second phase).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Performing electrochemical measurements.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Evolution of icorr over time for all the rebars studied.
Figure 5
Figure 5
icorr measurement of all rebars after 250 days.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Evolution of the Ecorr over time for all the rebars studied.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Measurement of the Ecorr of all rebars after 250 days.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Joint representation of Ecorr and icorr in the plane.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Ecorr and icorr values for each of the rebars. (a) Cln-0.0; (b) Cor-0.0; (c) Cln-0.2; (d) Cor-0.2; (e) Cln-0.4; (f) Cor-0.4; (g) Cln-0.6; (h) Cor-0.6; (i) Cln-0.8; (j) Cor-0.8; (k) Cln-1.0; (l) Cor-1.0; (m) Cln-1.5; (n) Cor-1.5; (o) Cln-2.0; (p) Cor-2.0.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Ecorr and icorr values for each of the rebars. (a) Cln-0.0; (b) Cor-0.0; (c) Cln-0.2; (d) Cor-0.2; (e) Cln-0.4; (f) Cor-0.4; (g) Cln-0.6; (h) Cor-0.6; (i) Cln-0.8; (j) Cor-0.8; (k) Cln-1.0; (l) Cor-1.0; (m) Cln-1.5; (n) Cor-1.5; (o) Cln-2.0; (p) Cor-2.0.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Ecorr and icorr values for all rebars.
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References

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