The Influence of a Magnetic Field on Corrosion of Steel Available to Purchase

Magnetic influence has been suspected or reported as a contributing factor in many cases of metallic corrosion near magnetic sources. This study has examined the corrosion behavior of a plain-carbon steel in a 3% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution within and without magnetic fields up to 0.245 T at room temperature. Anode and cathode corrosion half-cells were separated so that the magnetic effect on each electrode reaction could be studied by itself. Direction of the field with respect to the electrode surfaces was also varied.

Cathodic polarization of steel is not affected by a magnetic field; neither is anodic polarization up to a current density of approximately 10 mA/cm². It was also found by cyclic polarization that a magnetic field does not affect the susceptibility of the steel to localized attack in a 3% NaCl solution. However, at extreme corrosion rates (more than 24 cm/year), an applied magnetic field of 0.245 T causes a maximum change of 2.7% in the anodic dissolution rate.