Abstract: The Western Central Valley (VCO) (or San José) is the area with the highest concentration of population and anthropogenic activity in Costa Rica. The dispersion evaluations of the environmental pollution consider as the main component of the same to the trade winds in direction NE to SO, as well as other meteorological parameters.
Atmospheric corrosion in the valley has only been analyzed in a timely manner, without considering differences in contamination levels or sites considered as sinks, such as the Cerro de Escazú Protective Zone (ZPCE). The main metals used for the construction of metal structures are carbon steel (A36) and galvanized steel. Additionally these metal structures have different angles of exposure to the environment, which also possibly involves different levels of corrosion.
The present project intends to evaluate the effect of the corrosion in metallic structures of coal steel and galvanized steel located in different regions of the Central Western Valley (VCO) of Costa Rica in relation to the variability of the air pollution in the same and the angle of exposition.
The methodology to be applied will be based on ISO 9223 and associated standards, both for the exposure of metal plates to the environment, and for the measurement of air pollutants associated with corrosion (chlorides and sulfur oxide). In the case of sulfur oxide, several measurement techniques will be used to compare the effectiveness between them.
The measurements will be carried out over 2 years, in monitoring stations that will be located in sequences from the entrance to the exit of the trade winds of the VCO. Sampling plates will then be analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Electron Scanning Microscope (SEM) and electrochemical immersion techniques.
In this process, the corrosion variability in the VCO, in the main direction of the winds and the contamination levels associated with them, will be obtained. This will allow us to consider taking measures for the |