Corrosion of Carbon Steel in the Water Basins of Shemkir and Yenikend Hydroelectric Power Plants

Abstract

Using gravimetric and electrochemical research methods, the corrosion-electrochemical behavior of carbon steel grade St3 in Kura river water has been. Gravimetric measurements were carried out under operating conditions of the Shemkir and Yenikend hydroelectric power stations for one year. Along with this, the ionic and bacteriological composition, as well as some physicochemical parameters of these waters were established. It revealed that St3 in the Kura water corrodes at a rate of (0.04÷0.05) g/m2•hour, which is characteristic of steel corrosion in fresh waters. In the atmosphere of hydraulic structures, steel corrodes at rather a low rate, i.e. (5÷6)10-3 g/m2 hour. As a result of biochemical analysis, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were discovered in these waters, which are a dangerous organism that releases the corrosive substance of H2S. By taking the anodic and cathodic polarization curves, a quasi-stationary steel corrosion rate was established to be 0.06g/m2 h.