Investigation of corrosion products formed on the surface of carbon steel exposed in Banda Aceh's atmosphere

This research aims to study the corrosion rate and characteristics of corrosion products of carbon steel due to exposure in the environment of Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The ASTM G50 was used as the basis for the specifications of the specimens for corrosion rate calculation. The corrosion rate was calculated based on ASTM G1. The features of corrosion products studied are morphological features, types, and chemical compounds of the rust. These characteristics were identified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffractometer (XRD). The corrosion rate of carbon steel was obtained using the weight-loss method. The study was conducted for twelve months, i.e. January to December of 2018. After one year of exposure, it was found that the highest corrosion rate occurred in the March–April period which was 0.024 mpy and falls into outstanding category of relative corrosion resistance. Various morphological features of corrosion products found during the period of exposure, including worm nest, bird's nest, globular, cotton ball, laminar, lath, bar, needle-shaped, and whisker structures. These structures were lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) and goethite (α-FeOOH). During twelve months of exposure, corrosion products formed were dominantly lepidocrocite and goethite. It was found that the lepidocrocite might transform into goethite through prolonged exposure time.