Steel which is indispensable in infrastructures, transportation and manufacturing has a major drawback which is its susceptibility to deterioration (corrosion) that causes economic damage. Some structural failures cannot be unconnected to steel deterioration. Different factors cause deterioration of steel and steel structures but less attention has been given to the sulphate attack based on surrounding environment as one of the factors. In this work, the effects of different types of sulphates and different concentrations of sulphate solutions on the physical properties of steel over a period of time were considered. The sulphates include Calcium sulphate (CaSO4), Ammonium sulphate [(NH4)2SO4], Sodium sulphate (Na2SO4) and Magnesium sulphate (MgSO4.H2O) with concentrations of 1%, 3% and 5%. Weight loss analysis and physical observation were adopted to ascertain the deterioration of steel samples. Results show a progressive increase in weight loss for all the samples in the different solutions as the duration of immersion increases. With the exception of ammonium sulphate, the weight loss reduces with increasing sulphate concentration. Ammonium sulphate solution has a more significant effect on the steel samples than the other sulphate solutions. The deterioration also reflected in the colour and physical appearance of the steel samples. Hence sulphate causes deterioration in steel, therefore, appropriate precautions and prevention should be applied in constructions involving steel in a sulphate-rich environment.
steel, deterioration, sulphate attack, calcium sulphate, ammonium sulphate, Sodium sulphate, magnesium sulphate
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