Accelerating stabilization of weathering steel through rust modification pre-corrosion treatment

To accelerate the formation of the protective rust layer on weathering steel, a new pre-corrosion method containing a replacement reaction was explored. This process was mixed with Cu in the pre-corrosion rust layer to imitate the enrichment of alloying elements through long-term corrosion. By using various analysis methods, the initial corrosion behavior of weathering steel and carbon steel with/without pre-corrosion treatment was studied under indoor wet-dry cycle conditions. The results showed that the pre-corrosion treatment covers the steel surface with a rust layer containing high-concentration Cu. Subsequently, the corrosion uniformity of the weathering steel was significantly improved, and the protective performance of corrosion products was enhanced due to the high concentration of Cu enrichment. This technology is expected to provide a new way to perfect the service performance of weathering steel at the initial stage of application.