Effect of liquid film thickness and flow velocity on the cathodic reaction of carbon steel under liquid film flow conditions

Otani, Kyohei   ; Igarashi, Takahiro  

This study investigates how liquid film thickness and flow velocity influence the cathodic reaction rate of carbon steel under flowing liquid film conditions, with relevance to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. A custom-built flow system was developed to independently control both film thickness and velocity. Electrochemical tests were conducted using carbon steel and pure silver electrodes to assess the impact of oxygen transport. Results showed that the cathodic limiting current density increased as flow velocity increased and film thickness decreased. However, for carbon steel, the experimental values deviated from theoretical predictions due to the formation of corrosion products on the electrode surface, which hinder oxygen transport. This suppressed the expected increase in current density at higher flow velocities. In contrast, pure silver, which does not form corrosion products, showed experimental values in good agreement with theory.