Corrosion modeling for carbon steel under oxygen depleted underground environment

Shibata, Toshio*; Watanabe, Masatoshi; Taniguchi, Naoki ; Shimizu, Akihiko*

In the oxygen depleted underground environment, carbon steel reacts with HO, producing H gas and forming corrosion film on the steel surface. Corrosion rate is controlled by diffusion of reaction species through corrosion film. Diffusion constants of some species working in the corrosion process were obtained from literatures. However, no data were found on the diffusion constant of HO in iron oxides based on an appropriate assumption. Mass transfer model for the corrosion rate was used to simulate the corrosion rate of carbon steel. Liquid phase diffusion model of Fe or HO through pores in the corrosion film and solid phase diffusion model of HO through corrosion film itself were examined by Excel simulation. Change in corrosion current density and corrosion loss with time and pH and temperature dependence of corrosion current density were examined. By comparing the results, it is suggested that the solid phase diffusion of HO in the corrosion film controls the corrosion rate of carbon steel in oxygen depleted environment.