Analyzing Atmospheric Corrosion in Marine Environments on C1010 Steel for Improved Applications on Naval Platforms

Abstract

In the evolving landscape of global geopolitics, the 21st century has witnessed a remarkable reversal in maritime power dynamics. In order to revitalize the status of the U.S. Navy, the Naval Research Laboratory(NRL) has conducted research on the effects of atmospheric corrosion on C1010 steel. Our research continues as Phase II of the initial research of a December 2022 study on atmospheric corrosion conducted by the U.S. NRL in Washington D.C., and aims to assess and record correlations between different atmospheric elements which may potentially influence the force readiness and operational status of the U.S. fleet. A study by Sanders and Santucci (2022) determined how different factors affect the atmospheric corrosion of C1010 Steel. By angling different plates of steel and by changing wind speed, the study provided a variety of data regarding how these different independent variables affect the corrosion of C1010 Steel. By using data analytics approaches such as principal component analysis (PCA) our research determines different correlations between humidity, temperature, wind speed and other environmental factors using the data provided in the original research paper. We are collaborating with Sanders and Santucci (2022) from the Naval Research Laboratory in their Phase II study to answer questions posed in the original study such as how the length of the experiment affects the mass loss of C1010 Steel. Their Phase I study utilized a long-term experiment while Phase II will focus on multiple short-term experiments. In order to conduct data analysis and explore correlations between atmospheric factors and corrosion of C1010 steel, various computer programs were employed. Firstly, we utilized principle component analysis (PCA) using python for data dimension reduction. Utilizing GGPLOT in RStudio, we constructed 2 dimensional graphs and conducted statistical analysis which showed a clear correlation in various atmospheric factors which proved to have a significant impact on corrosion of C1010 steel. Additionally, utilizing Excel spreadsheets, Pearson correlation coefficient values were calculated, allowing for detailed insight into the correlation between different elements. The data and correlation between different dataset and points can provide important insight regarding the importance of different conditions in atmospheric corrosion inside a marine environment. This research and data helps aid scientists and researchers, allowing for an improved fleet of the future.

References: Sanders, C.E.; Santucci, R.J. Experimental design considerations for assessing atmospheric corrosion in a marine environment: Surrogate C1010 steel. Corros. Mater. Degrad. 2022, 4, 1–17