Outdoor and indoor atmospheric corrosion of non-ferrous metals

In the present paper, a study of the atmospheric corrosion of copper, zinc and aluminium exposed on three test sites indoors and outdoors (coastal, ur ban-industrial and rural) under different exposure conditions up to 18 mont hs is reported. Corrosion results are treated statistically and adjusted to a model previously proposed for steel [A.R. Mendoza, F. Corvo, Corrosion S cience 41(1) (1999) 75-86.] based on the influence of environmental paramet ers and main pollutants (SO2 and chlorides) on the atmospheric corrosion of metals. The interaction between the chloride deposition rate with the time of rainfall (outdoors) and with the time of wetness at temperature between 5 degrees C and 25 degrees C (indoors) were found to be the most significa nt variables influencing the corrosion of the three metals investigated; al though other variables appeared to be important in the corrosion process de pending on the metal nature. The results obtained confirm and allow us to e xpand the model previously proposed for steel to non-ferrous metals. A clas sification of the atmospheric corrosion aggressivity of the test sites base d both on environmental data and corrosion rate measurements was made accor ding to ISO 9223. The corrosion aggressivity prognostic of this standard is not always in agreement with the results obtained in Cuban atmospheric con ditions. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.