US EPA

72132 

Journal Article 

Atmospheric corrosion of steel in the Canadian Arctic 

Biefer, GJ 

1981 

0 

Materials Performance
ISSN: 0094-1492 

20 

16-19 

Sea water is used as cooling fluid in heat exchangers of sea going vessels. It is, therefore, of interest to study the corrosion of copper based alloy heat exchanger tubes, viz., 70/30 cupronickel. 90/10 cupronickel, inhibited Admiralty metal and inhibited aluminum brass in sea water and sea water contaminated by traces of ammonia due to discharge of factory effluents. The study has been made in two parts: (7) Laboratory studies under stationary and flow conditions, and (2) studies on the test rig with experimental heat exchangers under simulated service conditions. Total immersion and flow tests were carried out at 40 C. Electrochemical measurements were made using steady state conditions as well as by potential step method, It is found that the contamination of sea water with 1 ppm ammonia or mote has a pronounced effect on the corrosion behavior of Admiralty brass and aluminum brass. Ammonia has only slight effect in increasing the rate of corrosion of 90/10 cupronickel and has no observable effect on the behavior of 70/30 cupronickel.