Metal corrosion electrochemical tests

Electrochemical tests This group includes the various electrochemical tests that have been proposed and used over the last fifty or so years. These tests include a number of techniques ranging from the measurement of potential-time curves, electrical resistance and capacitance to the more complex a.c. impedance methods. The various methods have been reviewed by Walter . As the complexity of the technique increases, i.e. in the above order, the data that are produced will provide more types of information for the metal-paint system. Thus, the impedance techniques can provide information on the water uptake, barrier action, damaged area and delamination of the coating as well as the corrosion rate and corroded area of the metal. However, it must be emphasised that the more comprehensive the technique the greater the difficulties that will arise in interpretation and in reproducibility. In fact, there is a school of thought that holds that d.c. methods are as reliable as a.c. methods. 

One costly form of degradation is corrosion of metallic objects and structures. Organic coatings are widely used to protect these objects from corrosion. No completely acceptable and predictive methods exist for the evaluation of corrosion protection. Since corrosion is an electrochemical phenomenon, electrochemical testing may provide the evaluation tools which are wanting. 

As with all electrochemical studies, the environment must be electrically conductive. The corrosion rate is directly dependent on the Tafel slope. The Tafel slope varies quite widely with the particular corroding system and generally with the metal under test. As with the... 

Environmental tests have been combined with conventional electrochemical measurements by Smallen et al. [131] and by Novotny and Staud [132], The first electrochemical tests on CoCr thin-film alloys were published by Wang et al. [133]. Kobayashi et al. [134] reported electrochemical data coupled with surface analysis of anodically oxidized amorphous CoX alloys, with X = Ta, Nb, Ti or Zr. Brusic et al. [125] presented potentiodynamic polarization curves obtained on electroless CoP and sputtered Co, CoNi, CoTi, and CoCr in distilled water. The results indicate that the thin-film alloys behave similarly to the bulk materials [133], The protective film is less than 5 nm thick [127] and rich in a passivating metal oxide, such as chromium oxide [133, 134], Such an oxide forms preferentially if the Cr content in the alloy is, depending on the author, above 10% [130], 14% [131], 16% [127], or 17% [133], It is thought to stabilize the non-passivating cobalt oxides [123], Once covered by stable oxide, the alloy surface shows much higher corrosion potential and lower corrosion rate than Co, i.e. it shows more noble behavior [125]. 

Electrochemical Characterization Technloues. Since corrosion Is an electrochemical process, It Is not surprising that a considerable amount of work has been reported over the years on electrical and electrochemical techniques for the study of the corrosion process. Leldhelser Ql.) and Szauer (12.> 11) have provided good reviews of the principal techniques. Walter has recently provided a review of DC electrochemical tests for painted metals (14). Both AC and DC methods have been employed to study a variety of Issues related to corrosion and corrosion protection. DC techniques are especially useful for studying substrate processes, while AC impedance techniques are most useful for studying processes relating to coated substrates and the performance of coatings. 

Electrochemical Testing. Potentlodynamlc polarization measurements provided a sensitive means of evaluating the inhibitors with respect to environmental (Cl ) corrosion protection. The results obtained from anodlcally polarizing polished 7075-T6 A1 samples are presented in Fig. 9. For the control electrolyte (O.IN Na2S0, 0.002N KCl, no inhibitor), pitting was observed almost immediately on the surface, and the aluminum showed no evidence of passivation. The addition of NTMP to the solution did not appear to protect the metal... 

Electrochemical testing and determination of polarization characteristics of every component are recommended. If one of the metals has active-passive behavior, the state of the contact material should be considered for the expected active and passive states. Both Pourbaix pH diagrams and the potential of the passive metal or alloy can be helpful for this purpose. Bacterial corrosion in case of intended media and conditions should be investigated. 

Though a significant fraction of metallic corrosion involves electrochemical processes, much of corrosion testing involves techniques that do not have as the main goal the measurement of current or voltage. These techniques are used to examine a number of different forms of corrosion. Sometimes the data that result from the tests are quantitative. Sometimes the data are quahtative. Pictures of either the actual corroded sample or magnified portions of the corroded sample are often very useful and must be considered as types of data. 

---