• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.5039-5044
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• 2015

In this study, we evaluated corrosion behavior of a common rolling stock axle material, RSA1, in seawater. 3-electrode electrochemical cell experiment was conducted using artificial sea water, fabricated according to ASTM-D1141 set by American Society for Testing and Materials, where the corrosion current density and corrosion rate were determined to be $18.3{\mu}A/cm2$ and 0.217 mm/yr, respectively, by employing potentiodynamic test method and impedance spectroscopy method. Considering the fact that life time of railway car is ~25 years, the expected corrosion layer depth is 5mm. Constant-current corrosion test was conducted to accelerate the corrosion process, to reach corrosion periods of 1,3 and 4 years based on Faraday's law, followed by tension tests where the reduced specimen gauge cross-section was re-measured for stress calculation. While no apparent corrosion-related changes in mechanical properties were observed in the elastic regime, the reduction in ductility of the material was found to be increased as the corrosion period increased. The results of this study are expected to be basic corrosion data for the design of rolling stock axles, which will be operated in the sea water environment.