Abstract
In order to evaluate the effects of various surface conditions and the heating rate during aging on corrosion of carbon steel which is used as a regenerator vessel material in the absorption refrigeration cycle, electrochemical measurements of carbon steel in a concentrated lithium bromide solution were carried out. Aging means a passivation process for vessel material by heating it in a concentrated lithium bromide solution containing a passivator as an inhibitor at the beginning of refrigerator operation.
As a result, it was found that when polished steel as a defect of mill scale on carbon steel was corroded to some extent or when a metal/metal crevice was formed on polished steel surface, macrocells possibly continued to occur between the polished steel and the carbon steel covered with mill scale during or after the aging.
On the other hand, it was found that when the heating rate during the aging was low, the macrocell current was large and that there was higher corrosion risk than at high heating rates.
