Atmospheric corrosivity in the Caribbean area

This paper presents the first results of a parallel evaluation of the aggressivity of atmospheric corrosion in three Caribbean countries: Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela. The temperature-humidity complex and contamination parameters were determined in order to explain the differences in atmospheric corrosivity. For the Caribbean coastal stations, chloride deposition is the predominant factor for determining the steel corrosion rate after one year's exposure. In this region, it is common to find corrosion values exceeding the ones established in Standard ISO 9223. It is therefore recommended that a new Corrosion Aggressivity Scale be added to allow the inclusion of coastal zones in tropical areas. A different influence of chlorides on steel atmospheric corrosion was determined for Eastern and Western Caribbean. Differences are explained based on temperature-humidity-rain regime.