Geo-mapping atmospheric corrosion in Mauritius

The complexity of atmospheric corrosion prediction in Mauritius, due to the influence of trade winds and mountainous landscapes, presents a hurdle in building a more resilient infrastructural system. In the absence of a corrosion map, the corrosion rate at a specific location is difficult to estimate. To achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), an attempt is made to map the corrosivity of the whole country through regression modelling techniques and consideration of the factors affecting corrosion behaviour in the region. Previous field tests have recently been complemented with additional outdoor exposures to give a whole picture of the corrosivity of the Mauritian atmosphere. In this study, the relevant environmental data and known corrosion rates of carbon steel in specific locations are used to develop a corrosion map of the island as a vector data model depicting zones of specific ISO 9223 corrosivity categories.