The Open Corrosion Journal

2008, 1 : 1-5
Published online 2008 October 10. DOI: 10.2174/1876503301008010001
Publisher ID: TOCORRJ-1-1

Semiconducting Behavior of Carbon Steel in Electrolyte Solution

Q.D. Zhong , C. Wang , X.G. Lu , L.Y. Shi and K.C. Chou
Key Lab of Modern Metallurgy & Materials Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, No.149 Yanchang Road, Mail Box No.275, Shanghai, 200072, China.

ABSTRACT

In this paper, the semiconducting behavior of carbon steel in acid, base and salt solutions was studied by utilizing potential-capacitance and Mott-Schottky analysis. It was pointed out that the capacitance variation of space charge layer of carbon steel in different solution was different. The carbon steel showed p-type semiconducting behavior in 5% sulfuric acid and 5% sodium sulfate solution. However, the carbon steel showed n-type semiconducting behavior in 5% sodium hydroxide. It was suggested that the space charge layer of the carbon steel in different electrolytes might be asymmetric.

Keywords:

Carbon steel, conducting mechanism, p-type semiconductor, n-type semiconductor.