Publications Repository - Gdańsk University of Technology

Corrosion degradation is a prominent ageing mechanism in engineering structures (e.g. ships and offshore structures), leading to safety concerns and significant economic expenses. This study presents an improved methodology for indoor accelerated corrosion testing of structural components. The method involves controlling natural factors (oxygen saturation, temperature, salinity, and flow rate) to accelerate the corrosion in a controlled environment. The study uses small coupons, medium specimens, and stiffened plates made of steel with different thicknesses. Significant degradation acceleration was achieved compared to natural conditions (approx. twenty times faster). The mean corrosion equals 3.3 mm/year with a maximum 10% variation for different specimen sizes and thicknesses. A novel approach to account for the mass of corrosion products during periodical measurements was proposed and validated. The improved methodology offers an efficient and accurate way to simulate marine immersed corrosion, enabling further research on corrosion degradation behaviour and resistance in ship structures.

Authors

• dr inż. Krzysztof Wołoszyk link open in new tab ,
• mgr inż. Emil Roch link open in new tab ,
• dr hab. inż. Beata Zima link open in new tab ,
• Prof. Yordan Garbatov