At what water temperature do corrosion rates in cooling towers tend to remain relatively unaffected?

The choice that indicates 70°C as the water temperature where corrosion rates in cooling towers remain relatively unaffected is accurate due to the behavior of corrosion processes in relation to water temperature. At around this temperature, the rate of corrosion stabilizes, primarily because the solubility of gases like oxygen, which can contribute to corrosion, starts decreasing, thereby reducing their availability to react with metal surfaces.

In cooling towers, managing water temperature is critical to ensuring the longevity of the materials used in construction. At excessive temperatures beyond 70°C, the rate of various corrosive reactions, including those involving chemical processes or the presence of dissolved oxygen, can increase, leading to faster deterioration of structural components. Conversely, temperatures lower than this threshold may generate different types of corrosion issues, such as microbiological influenced corrosion (MIC), if certain conditions are met.

Therefore, 70°C serves as a practical limit where the interaction of dissolved gases and metal surfaces tends to be optimized for lower corrosion rates, making it a key temperature in cooling system design and maintenance strategies.