Understanding the role of alloyed Cu and P in the initial rust composition of weathering steel formed in a simulated coastal-industrial atmosphere

A combination of SR-XRD, Raman spectrum, EPMA and electrochemical measurements were used to investigate the role of alloyed Cu and P in the initial rust composition of weathering steel formed in a simulated coastal-industrial atmosphere. Results indicated that the addition of Cu inhibits the electrochemical cathodic and anodic process in the corrosion process and is beneficial to the formation of α-FeOOH in the internal rust layer. The addition of Cu and P was more effective in promoting the formation of α-FeOOH and inhibiting the formation of Fe3O4/γ-Fe2O3, resulting in the lowest corrosion rate. The original/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data is related to an ongoing study.