Numerical and Experimental Correlation Between Half-Cell Potential and Steel Mass Loss in Corroded Reinforced...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Civil Engineering
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Half-cell potential (HCP) is a non-destructive method for assessing corrosion probability in steel.
• Current HCP interpretation is limited to probabilistic assessments, lacking quantitative measures of steel mass loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of HCP measurements for quantifying actual corrosion severity.
• To establish numerical correlations between simulated HCP values and steel mass loss.

Main Methods:

• Regression analysis of published experimental data to establish relationships between corrosion current density (J₍corr₎), electrical resistivity (ER), HCP, and steel mass loss (m_L).
• Numerical simulation of HCP responses using COMSOL Multiphysics v6.2.
• Correlation analysis between simulated HCP and measured mass loss.

Main Results:

• Simulations showed increasingly negative HCP values with higher J₍corr₎ and conductivity.
• A high-fidelity second-order polynomial correlation (R² = 0.9999) was achieved between simulated HCP and measured mass loss (0-20%).
• This correlation enables quantitative interpretation of corrosion severity.

Conclusions:

• HCP measurements can be quantitatively interpreted to predict and assess steel corrosion severity.
• The findings suggest HCP can serve as a predictive indicator for corrosion extent.
• This quantitative approach can enhance structural monitoring and maintenance strategies.