A STUDY OF THE EROSION-CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF ENGINEERING STEELS FOR MARINE PUMPING APPLICATIONS

This paper presents results of a series of electrochemically based tests under liquid and liquid-solid erosion conditions on three generic materials, a C-Mn steel, an austenitic and a duplex stainless steel. Separation of the components of pure erosion, pure corrosion and synergy has been achieved under conditions imposed by an impinging saline flow containing a high burden of suspended solids. Although the pure corrosion component of deterioration on the stainless steels has been shown to be very small, the synergistic processes ensure that corrosion has a significant effect on these martials as well as on the less corrosion resistant C-Mn steel. The results have shown that complex hydrodynamic conditions impose mixed modes of attack since local variations in impingement angle exist.