of equipment are buried in the ground. Some examples of localized corrosion are discussed in the following paragraphs.

Corrosion due to mill scale. The mill scale embedded in the walls of iron pipe during its manufacture is one cause of pipe corrosion. It actually becomes the cathodic area, the iron pipe the anodic area, and the moist soil the electrolyte, as shown in figure 7-13. Current leaves the iron pipe wall and passes through the electrolytic soil to the mill scale. This electrochemical action causes severe pitting of the pipe metal at the anodic areas. Continued action of this type will eventually weaken the pipe to the extent of failure.

Corrosion due to cinders. Another type of corrosion occurs when iron pipe is laid in a cinder- fill in direct contact with the cinders. The cinders and the iron pipe make up the dissimilar metals. The pipe forms the anodic area, the cinders form the cathodic area, and the highly ionized soil serves as the electrolyte. The current leaves the pipe through the soil to the cinders and returns to the pipe. Severe corrosion occurs at the points where the current leaves the pipe.

Corrosion due to dissimilarity of pipe surface. This type of galvanic corrosion occurs when there are bright or polished surfaces on some areas of the pipe walls in contact with suitable electrolytic soil. These bright surfaces become anodic to the remaining pipe surfaces. In highly ionized soil, the polished surfaces corrode at an accelerated rate, thus weakening the pipe at that point.

Corrosion due to different soil conditions. This is a general corrosion problem, especially prevalent in highly alkaline areas. Corrosion currents leave the pipe wall and pass into compact soils and enter the pipe wall from light sandy soils. The intensity of the corrosion currents and the resulting rate of corrosion at the anodic areas of the pipe are directly proportional to the conductivity of the soil.

Corrosion due to stray currents. Direct current circuits that pass in and out of an electrolyte usually cause stray currents, many of which are a direct cause of corrosion. Corrosion does not occur at the point where the current enters the structure, because it is catholically protected. However, at the section where the current leaves the structure, severe stray current corrosion occurs. Over a period of a year, this type of corrosion has been known to displace as much as 20 pounds of pipe wall for every ampere of current.

Corrosion due to bacteria. Biological corrosion is another distinct type of corrosion caused by electrolytic or galvanic cell action. It is the deterioration of metals by corrosion processes that occurs as either a direct or an indirect result of the metabolic activity of certain minute bacteria, particularly in water or soil envirnments. These organisms that cause bacterial corrosion are bacteria, slime, and fungi.

Figure 7-13. - Pipe with corroding (anode) and noncorroding (cathode) areas.