Electrochemistry and capillary condensation theory reveal the mechanism of corrosion in dense porous media.

ABSTRACT: Corrosion in carbonated concrete is an example of corrosion in dense porous media of tremendous socio-economic and scientific relevance. The widespread research endeavors to develop novel, environmentally friendly cements raise questions regarding their ability to protect the embedded steel from corrosion. Here, we propose a fundamentally new approach to explain the scientific mechanism of corrosion kinetics in dense porous media. The main strength of our model lies in its simplicity and in combining the capillary condensation theory with electrochemistry. This reveals that capillary condensation in the pore structure defines the electrochemically active steel surface, whose variability upon changes in exposure relative humidity is accountable for the wide variability in measured corrosion

SUBMITTER: Stefanoni M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5943290 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature