ATMOSPHERIC CORROSION TESTS OF METALS ALONG THE RUSSIAN-NORWEGIAN BORDER

Over is the first year of atmospheric corrosion tests carried out in c ooperation by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research and the Institu te of Physical Chemistry (Russian Academy of Sciences) in those region s along the Russian-Norwegian border where sulfur dioxide content is h eightened. Judging from the results obtained, atmospheric corrosivity in the subarctic, as in any other climate, is determined mainly by ant hropogenic pollutants. An equation is derived relating the corrosion r ate of steel to both sulfur-dioxide content and the time of surface we tness. Determination of the actual time of wetness is shown to be impo rtant in the subarctic climate, where the temperature is often close t o zero for long and frequent periods. A model for atmospheric corrosio n is developed taking into account the SO2 threshold content, above wh ich this pollutant causes a noticeable increase in the metal corrosion rate.