What should be done to prevent rail corrosion?

Therefore, the best way to prevent the corrosion of the rails is by properly insulating the rails (see Chapter 7), avoiding any DC leaks from the rail to the ground, forcing the current to return properly and closing the circuit.

What metal is used for railway tracks?

steel
Unlike some other uses of iron and steel, railway rails are subject to very high stresses and are made of very high quality steel. It took many decades to improve the quality of the materials, including the change from iron to steel.

Why coating Cannot be used to prevent corrosion of railway lines?

The first is that any damage to the coating means that this area is unprotected and will corrode as fast, or indeed even faster, than if no coating was present. The second is that such coatings are usually unsuited to use where stray currents exist.

Why metals are used in railway track?

The stones don’t allow vegetation to grow on railway tracks which could weaken the ground on which the railway lines run. 2. Track ballast also keeps water from reaching the track on a regular basis and softening the ground.

What is railway corrosion?

The gradual thinning of rail foot leads to frequent rail replacements and is a safety issue. Corrosion of the ERC in the insert leads to jamming of ERC, resulting in loss of toe load. Based on these results, the corrosion resistant rails can be adopted by Indian Railways.

What kind of corrosion is most prevalent in railway tracks?

While crevice corrosion has been reported to be a typical form of localised corrosion. Panda et al. (2008a) has clearly reported the crevice corrosion at rail foot section, with liner covering above acting as a crevice former.

Why railway tracks are not painted?

Coating rails. Anti-corrosion coatings are not applied to steel rail lines as the coating would hide any developing fractures or defects. Cracking of tracks from metal fatigue is taken very seriously and regular inspections are carried out to check for defects.

How is corrosion protection of underground iron pipeline and railway lines carried out?

Normally magnesium is used as a sacrificial anode with respect to pipes and structures made of iron and steel, due to cost and stability considerations. This sacrificial anode is buried in the ground and connected electrically to the pipeline through low resistance copper wire.

Why do railway tracks need to be replaced?

So to summarise, rails are replaced as a result of wear from use, before they need to be replaced due to metal corrosion. Corrosion isn’t an issue because it has less of an impact on the relatively massive rail section, when compared to say the thin sheets of steel used in the body of a car.

How long does it take for a steel rail to rust?

It will therefore take 20 years for 1mm of steel to be compromised by rust from each face, or 2mm if both sides are exposed. If the unprotected steel section is 6mm wide one third of the section will be compromised in the 20 years, but a steel rail would only have approx 15\% of its section compromised.

Why are anti-corrosion coatings not applied to steel rail lines?

Anti-corrosion coatings are not applied to steel rail lines as the coating would hide any developing fractures or defects. Cracking of tracks from metal fatigue is taken very seriously and regular inspections are carried out to check for defects.

Why do we use steel rails instead of other materials?

This is necessary as the rail will be subjected to much higher dynamic stresses than the steel in a building frame. A steel rail also has a thicker cross section. When the rust forms on the face of the rail it acts as a barrier which then slows the rate of corrosion.