A Comprehensive Comparative Review of Corrosion Behavior, Mechanisms, and Protection Strategies for Metallic Materials in Marine Environments

Ali Fadiel AF and Elmnifi M

Published on: 2025-12-31

Abstract

The problem of corrosion under marine conditions is still a primary concern faced by engineering materials subjected to exposure to the sea, where high chloride levels, varying temperatures, mechanical stress, and microbial presence all contribute to the rate of corrosion. This paper presents an in-depth literature review of 19 recent publications between 2020 and 2025 that address corrosion behavior, prevailing mechanisms, methods of assessment, and corrosion prevention strategies of steels, stainless steels, duplex alloys, aluminum alloys, and copper-based materials. Systematic literature identification, screening, data extraction, and thematic comparisons were employed as structured methodologies.

The results indicate that there are definite performance differences between materials, with carbon steels having the highest, whereas austenitic stainless steels, though less resistant, are still prone to pitting, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion, particularly at high temperatures or high levels of sulfide. Duplex stainless steel S32205 has a high level of corrosion resistance; the corrosion rate is much lower than that of mild steel, and passive films in seawater are highly stable. Localized intensification of corrosion was observed in the welded locations of the aluminum alloys, and Ni- and Ni-Cr-based coats are of significant benefit in copper alloys.

In all investigations, localized corrosion (pitting) was the most common, followed by microbiologically controlled corrosion (MIC), corrosion fatigue, and SCC in combined mechanical and chloride corrosion environments. Potentiometric polarization and Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy 20(EIS) are electrochemical techniques that were found to be the most useful in assessing the behavior of corrosion and the performance of any coating using SEM and XRD analysis. Protection measures such as high-technological coating, cathodic protection, and optimized alloy selection were observed to accelerate durability under austere conditions in the sea.

In general, this synthesis highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach to corrosion management, including material selection, surface engineering, cathodic protection, and continuous control, to guarantee the high stability of marine structures. Key gaps in the research are also identified in the study, leading to the conclusion that further research on real-time monitoring technologies and long-term behavior of emerging alloy systems in variable seawater is necessary.