Corrosion Behavior of A588 Weathering Steel in Extremely Cold Atmospheric Environments

doi:10.11902/1005.4537.2025.205

Journal of Chinese Society for Corrosion and protection

2026, Vol. 46

Issue (3): 875-882 DOI: 10.11902/1005.4537.2025.205

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Corrosion Behavior of A588 Weathering Steel in Extremely Cold Atmospheric Environments

FENG Chenxu¹(

), CUI Tengfei¹, XU Lu¹, ZHANG Xinyu¹, CUI Zhongyu²

^1.China Helicopter Research and Development Institute, Jingdezhen 333001, China
^2.School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China

Cite this article:

FENG Chenxu, CUI Tengfei, XU Lu, ZHANG Xinyu, CUI Zhongyu. Corrosion Behavior of A588 Weathering Steel in Extremely Cold Atmospheric Environments. Journal of Chinese Society for Corrosion and protection, 2026, 46(3): 875-882.

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Abstract

The test samples of A588 weathering steel were field-exposed in the test site of the Zhongshan Station in Antarctica (69°22'24" S, 76°22'40" E) for 12 months in terms of the corrosion performance of A588 in an extremely cold atmospheric environment. The results show that the annual corrosion rate of the alloy was determined to be 11.0 μm/a using the weight loss method. SEM observations revealed that there existed cracks and pores within the rust layer, while with the corrosion degree on the upward surface being more severe than that on the downward surface of test samples. EDS analysis indicated widespread distribution of Cl element on the corroded surfaces, with more significant Cl^- enrichment on the upward surface. Furthermore, XRD results showed that the corrosion products mainly consisted of β-FeOOH, γ-FeOOH, α-FeOOH, and Fe₃O₄/γ-Fe₂O₃, among which β-FeOOH was predominant, and the α/γ* protection index was relatively low. Raman spectroscopy further revealed that a distinct stratified distribution of phases within rust layer, with α-FeOOH enriched in the inner layer and γ-FeOOH primarily located in the outer layer. These characterization results collectively suggest that the rust layer formed on A588 steel under extremely cold conditions exhibits cracking and phase stratification, which may compromise its long-term protective performance.

Key words: outdoor exposure tests A588 weathering steel extremely cold atmospheric environments corrosion behavior corrosion products

Received: 27 June 2025 32134.14.1005.4537.2025.205

ZTFLH:

V216.5

Corresponding Authors: FENG Chenxu, E-mail: 934907310@qq.com

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https://www.jcscp.org/EN/10.11902/1005.4537.2025.205 OR https://www.jcscp.org/EN/Y2026/V46/I3/875

Table 1 Environmental parameters of Antarctic Zhongshan Station during the exposure period

Fig.1 Macroscopic morphologies of the sunny side (a) and shady side (b) of A588 weathering steel after 12 month exposure to extremely cold atmospheric environment

Fig.2 Surface micro-morphologies of A588 weathering steel after 12 month exposure to extremely cold atmospheric environment: (a1-a3) sunny side, (b1-b3) shady side

Fig.3 Cross-sectional micro-morphologies and Cl element distribution maps of the sunny side (a) and shady side (b) of A588 weathering steel after 12-month exposure to extremely cold atmospheric environment

Fig.4 Surface corrosion morphologies and CLSM images of A588 weathering steel after removing corrosion products in extremely cold atmospheric environment: (a, c) sunny side, (b, d) shady side

Fig.5 Phase composition (a) and percentage (b) of corrosion products of A588 weathering steel after 12-month exposure to extremely cold atmospheric environment

Fig.6 Phase distribution of corrosion products of A588 weathering steel after 12-month exposure to extremely cold atmospheric environment

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