In cold water supply systems corrosion of steel substrate after disappearance of the galvanized layer leads to ‘red water’ problem and loss of the carrying capacity due to tuberculation. In this respect corrosion rate measurements for steel pipes were made in cold soft-water by using a one-through testing apparatus. As a result, the corrosion rate of steel pipe increased with an increase in pH value in the pH range of 6.5-8.5. This can be elucidated by the occurrence of localized corrosion due to low buffer capacity in the pH above 7. No appreciable acceleration was observed with the addition of chloride and sulfate up to 100mg/
l Cl
-(SO
42-). In the study of the effect of water velocity (
v), the corrosion rate of galvanized layer was found to be proportional to
3√
v, while non-galvanized steel pipes showed the maximum corrosion rate at a flow velocity of 0.67m/s.
Although dosages of hexametaphosphate into water at 2 to 5mg/
l (P
2O
5) levels increased to some extent the corrosion of steel pipe, good protection was attained at levels of 12mg/
l (P
2O
5). Dosages of sodium metasilicates up to 12mg/
l (SiO
2) showed no obvious inhibition for steel pipe.
It should be considered that both phosphate and silicate treatments will provide it sequestering action rather than corrosion inhibition at lower dosage levels.
View full abstract