Effects of Alloying Elements on Marine Corrosion Resistance of Structural Steel

This work aimed to develop new S355-based structural steels with enhanced marine corrosion resistance while preserving mechanical properties. Two alloying strategies (Cu/Ni and Al/Cr) were investigated. Conventional and new steel samples were produced and characterized for microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion. The new steels showed similar or improved mechanical properties. Potentiodynamic polarization tests indicated stabilization of the oxidation process in the new steels. Laboratory accelerated corrosion tests on painted specimens revealed reduced blistering at paint film defects for some new steels compared to conventional steel. Ongoing research includes evaluating painted specimens in a real offshore environment using an advanced floating laboratory