Experimental determination of time taken for openly exposed metal surfaces to dry

Abstract

The time taken for wetness sensors on zinc plates, openly exposed to the atmosphere, to dry was analysed at four sites in southern Australia. The sites cover a range of environmental conditions from inland to marine. A number of typical drying patterns were observed, and it was found that these patterns could be related to the environmental severity and the probable presence of various salt contaminants. Therefore, at the marine site drying was frequently slow (>4 h) and appeared to be controlled by the presence of salts with a low deliquescent relative humidity (DRH) such as MgCl₂. In contrast, at the inland sites drying was generally more rapid, which was consistent with either the drying of a clean surface or that of a surface controlled with salts of high DRH such as NaCl. The present paper presents histograms of drying rate for each site and the relationship between the distributions in drying rate and the environmental conditions is discussed. The relevance of the present study to modelling of atmospheric corrosion and to the design of cyclic tests to duplicate atmospheric corrosion is also discussed.