Study on corrosion and protection of concrete structures

Abstract

Chlorella vulgaris is a single-celled green algae widely distributed in the ocean. The metabolic activities and products of chlorella vulgaris can lead to corrosion of metal materials, particularly those in marine environment. Q235 carbon steel is widely adopted in marine equipment and facilities due to its good performance and low price. However, there are limited studies on the influence of chlorella vulgaris on the corrosion behavior of Q235 carbon steel. To fill this knowledge gap, in this report, the corrosion effect of chlorella vulgaris on Q235 carbon steel has been systematically investigated via a number of surface characterization tools. Physiological and biochemical indicators of chlorella vulgaris were tested to verify the growth of chlorella in the environment with or without carbon steel. The experimental results show that the initial corrosion rate of Q235 carbon steel in system with chlorella vulgaris presence was low. However, with the proceeding of the experiments, the biofilm gradually fell off from the surface, leading to a gradually accelerated the corrosion rate of carbon steel. The test results of various physiological and biochemical indexes also show that the environment without Q235 carbon steel was more conducive to the growth of chlorella vulgaris. The findings from this study will be very beneficial to the corrosion protection and management of the marine structures.