Corrosion Science
Vol. 51, Issue 10, pp.2298-2303, October 2009

Effect of tensile strain on the rate of marine corrosion of steel plates

Author(s): R.E. Melchers and J.K. Paik

Abstract :
It has been observed in the shipping industry that the rate of corrosion of steel plate may increase with
longer duration of exposure, typically over many years. This effect has been attributed to the flexure of
ships plates causing the loss of protective rust layers. The present paper describes the results of laboratory
experiments in which plates with pre-existing rusts were subject to high levels of tensile strain, with
and without subsequent exposure and corrosion. All rusts were obtained by exposing the steel to a natural
marine environment, including the atmospheric and tidal zones. Careful observation of the rusts
under tensile strain conditions showed that only strains near and beyond the elastic limit of the steel
have the capacity to cause significant damage to the rust layers. Subsequent short-term exposure tests
on pre-corroded and pre-strained steel coupons showed that there can be a moderate (10–15%) increase
in the short-term corrosion rate.