A rapid cyclic voltammetric method for studying cement factors affecting the corrosion of reinforced concrete

A rapid cyclic voltammetric method for studying the influence of cement fac tors on the corrosion of embedded iron and steel in hardened cement paste i s described. The technique employs a "cement electrode" consisting of an ir on or steel wire embedded in a miniature cylinder of hardened cement paste. The rapid cyclic voltammetric method is fast, reproducible, and provides i nformation on the corrosiveness of the pore solution environment surroundin g the embedded metal. The usefulness of the method is demonstrated by showi ng how it can be used to evaluate the threshold chloride content of hardene d ordinary portland cement paste at which corrosion begins and by using it to evaluate the relative efficacy of several admixed corrosion inhibitors. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.