The Schikorr reaction can occur in the process of anaerobic corrosion of iron and carbon steel in various conditions.
Anaerobic corrosion of metallic iron to give iron(II) hydroxide and hydrogen:
:3 (Fe + 2 HO → Fe(OH) + H)
followed by the Schikorr reaction:
:3 Fe(OH) → FeO + 2 HO + H
give the following global reaction:
:3 Fe + 6 HO → FeO + 2 HO + 4 H
:3 Fe + 4 HO → FeO + 4 H
At low temperature, the anaerobic corrosion of iron can give rise to the formation of "green rust" (fougerite) an unstable layered double hydroxide (LDH). In function of the geochemical conditions prevailing in the environment of the corroding steel, iron(II) hydroxide and green rust can progressively transform in iron(II,III) oxide, or if bicarbonate ions are present in solution, they can also evolve towards more stable carbonate phases such as iron carbonate (FeCO), or iron(II) hydroxycarbonate (Fe(OH)(CO), chukanovite) isomorphic to copper(II) hydroxycarbonate (Cu(OH)(CO), malachite) in the copper system.