Atmospheric corrosion in Mauritius

Abstract

Carbon steel is commonly used in Mauritius, and information related to its atmospheric corrosion behaviour in the Mauritian atmosphere is not readily available. Hence, the present study was performed to obtain relevant data and to develop a model for predicting the atmospheric corrosion degradation of carbon steel in Mauritius. Carbon steel samples were exposed outdoors at several sites, according to BS EN ISO 8565. They were removed after specific time periods, and their mass loss was determined. At the same time, the sites’ environmental parameters were monitored. From the mass loss measurements and the environmental parameters considered, it was found that the corrosivity of the Mauritian atmosphere falls in category C3 to C4, according to ISO 9223. A model was developed using the SPSS software, and it was found that the atmospheric corrosion in Mauritius depends mainly on the time of exposure and the carbon content of carbon steel.