Characterizing Environmental Severity and Atmospheric Corrosivity Categorization in Alaska

Abstract Atmospheric corrosion continues to be a significant monetary problem. Particularly in colder climates, such as Alaska, the complexity of atmospheric corrosion increases and additional factors make it difficult to estimate the corrosive phenomena. Despite the topic's significance, there exists a noticeable knowledge gap regarding the corrosivity of metals in cold regions in general. This lack of data stands in stark contrast to Alaska's growing importance on the global stage, particularly its potential as a pivotal point for cargo, strategic military location, refueling hub, and location for aerospace applications. Multi-angle corrosion test racks were deployed at four test sites across Alaska, each distinct in their environment, equipped with weather sensors and chloride candles. The principal weather parameters recorded were the ambient air temperature, relative humidity, time of wetness at exposure angles of 0°, 30°, and 45°, total rainfall, and aerosol chloride and sulfate deposition. Once coupon exposure was complete, coupon mass loss was measured and the corrosion rates were calculated as a function of the surface exposure angle. Comprehensive analyses, including weather correlation, mass loss analysis, SEM/EDXA, and optical profilometry, were used to determine corrosion rates and classify the corrosivity of the four sites against well-recognized standards.