A Study on the Corrosion Behavior of Ti-Containing Weathering Steel in a Simulated Marine Environment

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of titanium on the corrosion characteristics of bridge weathering steel plates in marine environments. The corrosion characteristics of steel containing different Ti additions were studied by simulating marine corrosion by cycles of the dry and wet environments. The addition of appropriate amounts of Ti can promote the production of γ-Fe₂O₃, which produces a protective rust layer. Steel containing 0.087 wt pct Ti, gave the best results. During long-term dry/wet cyclic corrosion experiments, the corrosion rate of the #0.087Ti steel first accelerated when a protective product layer has not completely covered the surface. The surface of the #0.087Ti steel was only fully covered after 144 hours of testing. With the further extension of periodic immersion testing the corrosion rate began to decrease gradually. After 576 hours of testing a stable protective product layer formed on the #0.087Ti steel, limiting further corrosion.