Effect of Cryogenic Condition on Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Behavior of Corten ASTM A242 Steel

Abstract

The Corten steel being a weathering steel, is preferred in fabrication of railway coaches, bridges, structures etc. The Corten steel in its field of application, is exposed to harsh climatic conditions, like extreme heat, cold climates, humidity, etc. Hence in the experimental investigation an effort is made to study the effect of low or cryogenic conditions on the mechanical and corrosion properties of the corten steel. Even though generally deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) is applied on materials to improve their properties, in this study the corten steel is exposed to a shallow cryogenic condition to replicate the natural cold snow and below freezing temperatures in the field of application. In this study the corten steel specimens are exposed to a cryogenic temperature of -15ºC and tested to determine the mechanical properties and corrosion behavior. This experimental investigation showed that the corten steel when exposed to cryogenic condition, has inherent property to improve its mechanical properties and considerably improve its corrosion resistance.