TITLE:
Corrosion Test of the Steel Plate in a WJ-8 Fastener for High Speed Rail
AUTHORS:
Zhiyong Wang, Zhiping Zeng, Hualiang (Harry) Teng
KEYWORDS:
Steel Plate for High Speed Rail Fastening, Steel Corrosion, Zinc Coating, Salt-Fog Chamber
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Transportation Technologies,
Vol.14 No.1,
December
14,
2023
ABSTRACT: It was found that the steel plate
in the composite plate in the WJ-8 fastener used in high speed rail is rusty.
The objective of this study is to test the zinc coating of the steel plate. A
literature review was conducted to identify the zinc coating techniques, and
the companies that can provide different coating service was identified. A salt
fog chamber was built that was in compliance with the ANSI B117 code, and the
steel plates that were coated by the identified companies were tested using the
salt fog chamber. The results indicated that the coating technique that had the
best performance in preventing corrosion was the Greenkote plates with
passivation. The galvanized option had the roughest coating layer, and it was
the most reactive in the salt water solution. This makes it non-ideal for the
dynamic rail environment because the increased friction of the plate could
damage the supports, especially during extreme temperatures that would cause
the rail to expand or contract. Greenkote with Phosphate and ArmorGalv also
provided increased corrosion prevention with a smooth, strong finish, but it
had more rust on the surface area than the Greenkote with ELU passivation. The
ArmorGalv sample had more rust on the surface area than the Greenkote samples.
This may not be a weakness in the ArmorGalv process; rather, it likely was the
result of this particular sample not having the added protection of a colored
coating.