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Surface Characterization on Corrosion By-products on Cu in Drinking Water Pipes
Citation:
Daniels, S. AND J. Garno. Surface Characterization on Corrosion By-products on Cu in Drinking Water Pipes. Presented at Pittsburgh Conference, Orlando, FL, February 28 - March 05, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Copper is widely used in house-hold plumbing due to its anti-corrosion property. However, as water travels within the distribution system into corroded copper pipes, copper may be released into consumer’s tap causing major problems. In an attempt to understand the mechanism and on set on copper corrosion, copper substrates were examined using AFM. High resolution AFM provides highly sensitive measurements for systematically investigating changes, enabling one to control a wide range of experimental parameters for surface treatments. Copper coupons were exposed to sodium bicarbonate, sodium sulfate, sodium chloride in 1L Milli-Q water with pH ranging for 6.5, 7, 8 and 9. Surface characterization of the test coupons were done after 6 and 24hrs of exposure to the water qualities. The synthetic water was made to mimic that of consumer’s tap. The purpose of this study is to investigate the cuprosolvency of the copper coupons as a function. Using AFM surface changes can be visualized at the early onset of corrosion. For example, it was observed that the mineral deposit on the Cu substrate grew larger after longer and expose time and were significantly reduce in size with the addition of the orthophosphate after 24hrs of immersion. AFM results showed test coupons at low pH to have increase in copper by-products and the formation of with lower pH values clearly leading to higher corrosion rates and by-products release. It can be conclusion, that although the addition of orthophosphate does not completely stop the growth of corrosion by-product but it is effective in reducing the rate of corrosion and the release of Cu into consumer’s tap.
URLs/Downloads:
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION_PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 5 KB, about PDF)