The vast desert stretches endlessly. Rows of neatly arranged and gleaming photovoltaic panels are working hard to absorb sunlight and generate electricity. However, although they seem "reliable", they actually carry the risk of being "untenable". As is well known, deserts, gobi areas and wastelands, with abundant sunlight and vast land, are ideal locations for building large-scale photovoltaic power stations.
However, these areas have harsh natural conditions, which can be described as "the steel killers": strong winds carrying sand and stones (wind erosion), soil containing salt and alkali, and extreme temperature differences between day and night. These conditions are very unfriendly to the steel frames of the photovoltaic panels - the ordinary galvanized steel frames of photovoltaic panels will have their lifespan shortened by more than 30% due to the corrosion of desert wind, sand, salt and alkali. This also means more frequent replacements, higher maintenance costs, and the maintenance work carried out by the staff in such harsh environments is extremely arduous.
Sand, dust and salt-alkali are the "enemies" of the framework. Ordinary steel and common weather-resistant steel are prone to rust and damage, causing them to collapse. Facing harsh environments and natural laws, it seems that steel in the desert is unable to escape the fate of rusting and turning into "crispy skin" steel. However, a "special steel" that overturns people's perception is quietly changing the rules of the game - if you can't beat them, join them! This steel is not afraid of rusting; instead, it actively "rusts" to save itself! To solve the problem of photovoltaic panel supports being prone to rust and not durable in deserts, China Baowu Baosteel Co., Ltd. innovatively developed "Danxia Steel®" (Baosteel hot-rolled super weather-resistant steel), using "rust" to prevent rust and allowing the steel to "win" in the desert.
Danxia Steel® can achieve "rust prevention through rust", actively generate rust, and the amount of rust needs to be precisely controlled. The rust layer of Danxia Steel® is formed by technicians adding a small amount of special corrosion-resistant alloy elements to the steel and using the corresponding rolling cooling process. Under the influence of natural moisture and air in the environment, it forms rapidly. This is a dense and stable rust layer, also known as a "protective rust layer", which can directly prevent corrosive media from penetrating the base material. Of course, people have long been exploring and attempting with weather-resistant steel, but compared to ordinary weather-resistant steel, Danxia Steel® is an upgraded version. Its rust layer is more dense and its strength is also higher.
The "protective rust layer" of Danxia Steel® (below) is the core secret of its corrosion resistance. During the initial stage of using Danxia Steel®, as the rust layer gradually forms, the surface color of the steel will change over time. The initial color of the steel is gray. Under the influence of moisture in the air or rainwater, the surface will undergo local rusting, turning into a brownish-yellow color, with an uneven distribution. Gradually, the rusted area will gradually expand and become more uniform, and the color will change from brownish-yellow to brown-red, stabilizing and forming a unique color similar to the Danxia landform. Thus, Danxia Steel® gets its name.
From China Steel News Network