Effect on the corrosion behavior of high manganese steels in tropical marine environment

High manganese steel (HMS) is extensively used in the field of liquefied natural gas applications; however, it is often susceptible to marine corrosion. This study investigates the corrosion behavior of HMS in the tropical marine environment of Sanya, China. The research encompasses both field exposure assessments and controlled laboratory experiments to derive comprehensive insights into the factors influencing corrosion rates and mechanisms in such an environment. This study aimed to simulate the corrosion behavior of HMS within a tropical marine environment by employing two primary methodologies: laboratory-based accelerated full immersion and interimmersion corrosion testing, in conjunction with actual environmental exposure tests conducted at sea. The analysis involved comprehensive macroscopic observations complemented by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and metallographic examinations to facilitate a comparison of the results obtained from both the natural sea exposure tests and the laboratory accelerated corrosion tests. These findings imply that laboratory accelerated corrosion tests can serve as an effective alternative to actual sea exposure tests. Additionally, a time similarity coefficient was established to correlate with the findings between the natural sea exposure test and the laboratory accelerated corrosion test.