Corrosion Mechanism of Rock Wool in Sulfuric Acid

The corrosion behavior and fracture mechanisms of rock wool have been studied. After different corrosion test, morphologies of rock wool fibers were obtained using SEM. The leaching rate of non-siliceous cations was measured using ICP-MS. Elemental analysis and the structure of the fiber surfaces were investigated by SEM-EDS and XRD. The results revealed that the corrosion of rock wool fibers in sulfuric acid solution was primarily attributed to calcium, magnesium and aluminum ion depletion. Rock wool fiber dissolution begins by the exchange of network modifier ions via metal-proton exchange reactions, then a partial removal of network intermediate ions by Al,Fe-proton exchange reactions followed by the liberation of partially detached Si tetrahedrals.