Comparative Study on Corrosion Protection of Reinforcing Steel by Using Amino Alcohol and Lithium Nitrite Inhibitors

• Main Authors: Han-Seung Lee, Hwa-Sung Ryu, Won-Jun Park, Mohamed A. Ismail
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2015-01-01
• Series: Materials
• Subjects: reinforced concrete; reinforcing steel corrosion; amino alcohol inhibitor; electrochemical evaluation
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/8/1/251

In this study, the ability of lithium nitrite and amino alcohol inhibitors to provide corrosion protection to reinforcing steel was investigated. Two types of specimens—reinforcing steel and a reinforced concrete prism that were exposed to chloride ion levels resembling the chloride attack environment—were prepared. An autoclave accelerated corrosion test was then conducted. The variables tested included the chloride-ion concentration and molar ratios of anti-corrosion ingredients in a CaOH2-saturated aqueous solution that simulated a cement-pore solution. A concentration of 25% was used for the lithium nitrite inhibitor LiNO2, and an 80% solution of dimethyl ethanolamine ((CH3)2NCH2CH2OH, hereinafter DMEA) was used for the amino alcohol inhibitor. The test results indicated that the lithium nitrite inhibitor displayed anti-corrosion properties at a molar ratio of inhibitor of ≥0.6; the amino alcohol inhibitor also displayed anti-corrosion properties at molar ratios of inhibitor greater than approximately 0.3.