This paper describes a study of the corrosion behaviour of both simple and complex cells consisting of steel coupled to copper in sodium chloride solutions. The corrosion rates of steel in the steel–steel and steel–copper couple in a simple cell with a simple electrolyte show a high correlation with the results of uncoupled steel. The corrosion behaviour of the steel = steel and steel = copper couple in a simple cell using different electrolytes is slightly different from that in a simple electrolyte. Complex cells differ in corrosion behaviour according to their mode of combination, and simple cells act as the basic pattern for the corrosion behaviour of each complex cell.
