Corrosion Issue of Stainless Steel in Reinforced Structures (Research Paper Sample)

Corrosion of Reinforced Steel
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* Introduction
The article selected is based on the experimental analysis of the protection systems used to tackle the problem of corrosion in the steel reinforcements. According to the authors, Zacharapoulou, Zacharapoulou, & Batis (2014), the increasing destruction of the concrete structures due to the corrosion of the steel reinforcements is a growing problem that needs to be addressed. This problem is greater in the areas which are closer to the water sources like rivers and sea. It is a known fact that the chloride ions are one of the main reasons behind the rapid corrosion of the steel materials. To prevent the structures from the destruction caused by the chloride ions protection technique like coating is commonly used. According to Batis et.al, (2014) a method is developed to prevent the steel from atmospheric corrosion. This method involves the use of inhibitors which are organic or inorganic salts mixed with the concrete to protect the steel reinforcements.
In my opinion, as the technical reviewer the authors missed an important point while discussing the importance of inhibitors to prevent the corrosion. The fact is explained in another article by Abdulrahman, Ismail, & Hussain, (2011). According to them, the exposure of the inhibitors to the human is hazardous to the health. They have categorized the hazards into Lethal Dose and Lethal Concentration. According to the experiments conducted by them, the exposure to the Lethal Dose killed 50% of the animal population while on the hand the Lethal Concentration is the composition of the inhibitors in the air or water and it also killed 50% of the test population in the experiment. The Biological Oxygen Demand of the inhibitors should be at least 60% to make them feasible for protection (Hussain et.al, 2011). The reinforced concrete according to the authors of the selected article is the most used material for the construction. Despite its durability, it is noted that after the duration of 100 years the gradual damage of the material starts. According to Batis et.al, (2014), the most important factor in the damage is the corrosion of the steel reinforcements in the construction and it needs to be addressed.
* Experimental Analysis
The authors Batis et.al, (2014) discussed their experiment. There were groups of the specimens created and each contained 6 specimens. The dimensions of the each specimen were a cube of 100 × 100 mm and had 4 rebars at the same distance from the center of the specimen. The cement mortar included a type corrosion inhibitor and inhibitor was introduced as an admixture or sprayed on the external surface of the mortar. To obtain the electromechanical values from the specimen each was enwrapped with the copper values. The specimens were dipped in the 3.5wt% solution of NaCl and analyzed electromechanically for their behavior.
Table: Chemical Composition of Mortar and Steel specimens (Source Batis et.al, 2014).
The figure below represents the corrosion of the specimens with respect to time. It is represented as a function of the exposure period. The groups of the specimens were dipped in the 3.5% NaCl solution for a period of 23 months and their rate of corrosion is noted.
Figure: Corrosion potential with respect to time (Source Batis et.al, 2014).
According to the authors Batis et., al, (2014) the commercial inhibitors which are added or sprayed over the cement mortar not only prevent the structure from corrosion but also have an impact on the strength and othe...