The formation and development of corrosion products on carbon steel surface during the initial stage of atmospheric corrosion in a laboratory simulated environment have been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that two different shapes of corrosion products, that is, ring and chain, were formed in the initial stage of corrosion. MnS clusters were found in the nuclei of corrosion products at the active local corrosion sites. The ring-shaped products were composed of lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) and maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) transformed from lepidocrocite. The chain-type products were goethite (α-FeOOH). A formation mechanism of the corrosion products is proposed. The formation and development of corrosion products on carbon steel surface during the initial stage of atmospheric corrosion in a laboratory simulated environment have been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that two different shapes of corrosion products, that is , ring and chain, were formed in the initial stage of corrosion. MnS clusters were found in the nuclei of corrosion products at the active local corrosion sites. The ring-shaped products were composed of lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) and maghemite (γ- Fe2O3) transformed from lepidocrocite. The chain-type products were goethite (α-FeOOH). A formation mechanism of the corrosion products is proposed.