The effect of synthetic zinc corrosion products on corrosion of electrogalvanized steel. II. Zinc reactivity and galvanic coupling zinc/steel in presence of zinc corrosion products

The reactivity of zinc under synthetic zinc patinas and the galvanic coupling in steel/patina/Zn are studied. Zn-5(OH)(6)(CO3)(2) and Na2Zn3(CO3)(4).3H(2)O inhibit zinc anodic dissolution in NaCl, while Zn-5(OH)(8)Cl-2 H2O and Zn-4(OH)(6)SO4 nH(2)O do not. The galvanic current in steel/patina/NaCl/Zn is smaller as compared to steel/NaCl/Zn. The inhibiting effect decreases with time for Na2Zn3(CO3)(4).3H(2)O or Zn-4(OH)(6)SO4 nH(2)O due to the transformation into Zn(OH)(2). In NaHCO3, the polarity between zinc and steel can reverse. The effect of confinement on the cathodic current is stronger than the initial effect of patina which is explained by the instability of the patinas under rapid pH-increase. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.