Corrosion Behaviour of DH36 Steel Used for Oil Platform in Splash Zones

The splash zone is the most corrosive area of the marine environment, and the corrosion of steel structures exposed in this area is a serious concern. DH36 steel is one of most commonly used steels for offshore oil platforms in China, and its corrosion behaviour in splash zones was studied in this paper. Polarization curves were obtained from the corroded steel exposed in this area while the morphologies and rusts of the rust steel were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Double rust layers were formed in the splash zone. The inner layer contained magnetite and fine flaky lepidocrocite, and the outer layer was composed of accumulated flaky lepidocrocite and a small amount of goethite. In the wet period, the iron dissolved and reacted with lepidocrocite, and magnetite appeared, while the magnetite was oxidized to lepidocrocite again during the dry period. Electrochemical reduction and chemical oxidization cycled in intermittent wetting and drying periods, and magnetite and lepidocrocite were involved in the reduction reaction, leading to serious corrosion.