Abstract
An experimental campaign was carried out to study the passivity of steel embedded in Ordinary Portland mortar. Mockup samples made of steel coupons (roughly polished or pre-corroded) embedded in mortar were tested under a relative humidity of 80, 90 and 95% or in a solution simulating the ground water of the French site of Bure (at 25 and 50°C) and under aerated and de-aerated conditions, during up to 3 years. The results of gravimetric measurements show that the average corrosion rates determined on polished coupons are typical of passive conditions (<1 μm/year) and vary from 0·2 to 2·3 μm/year for pre-corroded coupons. Moreover, characterisation (Raman spectroscopy and SEM-EDS) of the samples tested in aerated conditions points out a stable state in term of the nature of the corrosion products and of the composition of the steel/mortar interface. In de-aerated conditions, magnetite is observed in the corrosion products.
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