Calcareous deposits in simulated fatigue cracks of cathodically protected steel in seawater

An experiment was designed to provide a simulated steel fatigue crack under cathodic protection in seawater for study. Calcareous deposits were found to form in the simulated crack at -0.800, -0.900, -1.000 and -1.100 volts (SCE) with cycle frequencies of both 0.5 and 1.0 Hertz. By X-ray and SEM analysis, calcium carbonate deposits were shown to grow in quantities sufficient to block and become compressed by this simulated crack. Increased fluid velocities from crack pumping were shown to negatively affect crystal nucleation and growth. Due to kinetic barriers to crystal growth, aragonite and brucite were determined to be the most likely deposit type; excluding calcite, dolomite and magnesite. The deposits formed at -1.000V were shown by current requirements and SEM to provide the best protection as a coating.