Investigations of surface morphology and corrosion properties of AISI 1040 steel in different salts solutions

• A.M. Mohammed

Department of Oil and Gas Equipment Engineering, College of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Technology, Baghdad 10001, Iraq

Abstract: This study aims to evaluate the corrosion behavior and surface morphology of AISI 1040 carbon steel when exposed to various salt solutions, including NaCl, Na₂SO₃, and Na₂SO₄, and provides a comparative assessment of the effect of different types of salts on the corrosion behavior of medium carbon steel during long immersion periods. In this work, immersion tests were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions to simulate different corrosive environments. Weight loss method was employed to quantify the corrosion rates of the steel in each solution. The corroded surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy to characterize the morphology and nature of the corrosion products. The results revealed notable differences in the corrosion resistance of AISI 1040 steel depending on the salt solution. The NaCl environment exhibited the highest corrosion rate due to aggressive chloride ions that promote localized pitting. Conversely, the steel showed comparatively better resistance in Na₂SO₃ and Na₂SO₄ solutions, though with varying degrees of uniform corrosion. SEM analysis confirmed these findings, showing distinct surface degradation patterns for each medium. These findings provide an important basis for selecting protection strategies and determining the suitability of this steel for industrial applications exposed to harsh marine or chemical environments. The study also reveals the possibility of using Na₂SO₃ as an economical and effective inhibitor, with caution required in highly aggressive chloride and sulphate environments.

Keywords: corrosion rate, salty corrosive medium, SEM, roughness

Int. J. Corros. Scale Inhib., 2025, 14, no. 4, 1881-1899
doi: 10.17675/2305-6894-2025-14-4-9

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