Abstract
The peculiar feature of cathodic protection in seawater has the capability to form mineral calcareous deposits such as magnesium and calcium on metal surfaces. It is assumed that $OH^-$ ions are generated close to the metal surface as a result of cathodic protection and generated $OH^-$ ions increases the pH of the metal/seawater interface outlined as the following formulae. (1) $O_2+2H_2O+4e{\rightarrow}4OH^-$, or (2) $2H_2O+2e{\rightarrow}H_2+2OH^-$. And high pH causes precipitation of $Mg(OH)_2$ and $CaCO_3$ in accordance with the following formulae. (1) $Mg^{2+}+2OH^-{\rightarrow}Mg(OH)_2$, (2) $Ca^{2+}+CO{_3}^{2-}{\rightarrow}CaCO_3$. The focus of this study was to increase the amount of $CO{_3}^{2-}$ with the injection of $CO_2$ gas to the solution for accelerating process of the following formulae. (1) $H_2O+CO_2{\rightarrow}H_2CO_3$, (2) $HCO^{3-}{\rightarrow}{H^+}+CO{_3}^{2-}$. Electrodeposit films were formed by an electro-deposition technique on steel substrates in solutions of both natural seawater and natural seawater dissolved $CO_2$ gas with different current densities, over different time periods. The contents of films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD). The adhesion and corrosion resistance of the coating films were evaluated by anodic polarization. From an experimental result, only $CaCO_3$ were found in solution where injected $CO_2$ gas regardless of current density. In case of injecting the $CO_2$ gas, weight gain of electrodeposits films hugely increased and it had appropriate physical properties.
