Effect of Electrical Injection of Corrosion Inhibitor on the Corrosion of Steel Rebar in Chloride-Contaminated Repair Mortar

Abstract

The electrical rehabilitation treatments of repair mortar were performed with tetrabutylammonium bromide salt (TBAB) at an electrical current density of 5 A/m2, using two electrolytes (0.1 M NaOH and 0.1 M Na3BO3 solutions), and for two time periods (1 and 4 weeks), respectively. The average organic cation-based inhibitor’s concentration in cement mortars before and after this treatment was quantified using the UV-Vis spectroscopy. The experimental results reveal that the EICI treatment with 0.1 M Na3BO3 was more effective in injecting the inhibitor and in improving the chloride penetration resistance and compressive strength of the mortar, relative to using 0.1 M NaOH as electrolyte. In this case, after the 4-week EICI treatment, [TBA+] contents were 2.3 % and 2.4% by mass of cement mortar for uncontaminated and salt-contaminated mortars, respectively. After the 4-week EICI treatment, the apparent diffusion coefficients of chloride anion in cement mortar were decreased by 40% from 1.52 × 10−10 m2/s. The EICI treatment was able to halt the chloride-induced corrosion of the steel rebar by promoting its passivation. The 2-week EICI treatment using sodium hydroxide and sodium borate solutions decreased the corrosion current density of the rebar by 77.8% and 78.5%, respectively, approximately two months after the treatment.