Corrosion Behavior of Mild Carbon Steel in Ethanolic Solutions

Electrochemical evaluation of ASTM A36 steel was performed in ethanolic solutions containing small concentrations of water ranging from 0 to 10 vol.%. Electrochemical techniques such as open circuit potential (OCP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiodynamic polarization were utilized to analyze corrosion parameters. A fixed concentration of chloride, as per the ASTM specification for fuel grade ethanol, was added to increase the conductivity of the solutions. The effects of water and oxygen on the corrosion behavior of steel in these solutions have been discussed. Pitting corrosion of the steel specimens in these solutions was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and pitting analysis. This investigation was performed to establish a baseline for the microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of steel in ethanolic solutions.