Project description
Natural and inorganic inhibitors for reinforced concrete
Concrete structures are usually reinforced with embedded steel ribs. However, these reinforcements are threatened by corrosion that reduces the durability of the entire concrete structure. Although the high alkalinity of concrete produces a protective environment for steel, aggressive attacks of chloride ions or carbonisation processes represent a risk of corrosion. Corrosion inhibitors represent a method that mitigates steel bar corrosion, but synthesised inhibitors are toxic for the environment, making research on green corrosion inhibitors instrumental. Natural inhibitors extracted from the plant products emerge as the ideal solution. The EU-funded NATCON project will study the synergistic effects between common inorganic inhibitors and some plant extracts to strengthen the corrosion monitoring of the embedded steel bars in concrete constructions.
Objective
Concrete structures are often strengthened by embedding steel ribs which is known as reinforcement in concrete. Prime setback of reinforcement in concrete is corrosion. Corrosion of reinforcements often limits the durability of reinforced concrete structures. In fact, the high alkalinity of concrete creates an environment that protects steel against corrosion. However, the life expectancy of concrete structures is affected by corrosion of steel reinforcements, because of an aggressive attack of chloride ions or as a result of carbonation. Corrosion of reinforcement has huge economic implications as well as social issues including endangering the safety of people who are working in industries. Corrosion inhibitors are among the methods that can be taken into consideration to reduce the steel bar corrosion. Corrosion inhibitors have been reported to control the corrosion of steel reinforcements without significantly changing the concrete properties. The environmental toxicity of the synthesized corrosion inhibitors has resulted in the search for finding green corrosion inhibitors with lower amount of toxic compounds. Among various compounds the corrosion inhibitors extracted from the plant products are inexpensive, readily available and renewable. Most parts of plants such as leaf, fruits peel, etc., are rich of the compounds that give them the capability to be used as corrosion inhibitor for various substrates in different electrolytes. Although some reports can be found in the literature regarding the use of natural corrosion inhibitors in concrete, not so many data are available on taking advantage of the synergism between inorganic inhibitors and organic compounds extracting from plant products. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the synergistic effect of some plant extracts and common inorganic inhibitors to The inhibition synergism of some plant extracts and common inorganic inhibitors to enhance the corrosion control of the embedding steel bars in concrete
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinator
28903 Getafe (Madrid)
Spain