Efficiency of Natural Greek Pozzolan in Chloride-Induced Corrosion of Steel Reinforcement

Abstract

Abstract This experimental work estimates the corrosion behavior in a sodium-chloride environment of steel reinforcements in mortar specimens with 0, 15, and 30% Greek natural pozzolan, cured either for 1, 7, or 28 days. The corrosion resistance was evaluated by measuring the corrosion potential development of steel rebars, their gravimetric mass loss, their anodic potentio-dynamic behavior, and the total- and free-chloride content of the mortars. Additionally, their mineralogical composition was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The increase of curing time, as well as the addition of the Greek natural pozzolan, for both percentages tested, improved the corrosion behavior. The combination of the pozzolan addition with longer curing time reduces the steel rebars mass loss up to a level of about 40% after five months of exposure.