Abstract: A laboratory study of the atmospheric corrosion of carbon steel deposited with (NH4)2SO4 in the presence of SO2 is reported. The different levels of (NH4)2SO4 (0, 15, 30, 45, 60μg·cm2 were added on the surface of the samples before the exposure. The corrosion was investigated by a combination of gravimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscope and scanning electron microscopy. A detailed knowledge about the corrosion products was acquired, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results show that the metal loss increased and the increasing tendency of corrosion rates slowed down with the increasing exposure time. The phase constituents of the corrosion products are mainly α-FeO(OH), γ-FeO(OH), and δ-FeO(OH).

Key words: Steel A3, Atmospheric corrosion, Deposition, Ammonium sulfate, Sulfur dioxide