Copper, Iron, and Aluminium Electrochemical Corrosion Rate Dependence on Temperature

Abstract

Our investigations show that electrochemical corrosion of copper is faster than electrochemical corrosion of aluminium at temperatures below 100°C. Literature data analysis shows that the Al atoms diffuse faster than the Cu atoms at temperatures higher than 475°C, Al-rich intermetallic compounds (IMCs) are formed faster in the Cu-Al system, and the Kirkendall plane shifts towards the Al side. Electrochemical corrosion occurs due to electric current and diffusion. An electronic device working time, for example, depends on the initial copper cover thickness on the aluminium wire, connected to the electronic device, temperature, and volume and dislocation pipe diffusion coefficients, so copper, iron, and aluminium electrochemical corrosion rates are investigated experimentally at room temperature and at temperature 100°C. Intrinsic diffusivities ratios of copper and aluminium at different temperatures and diffusion activation energies in the Cu-Al system are calculated by the proposed methods here using literature experimental data. Dislocation pipe and volume diffusion activation energies of pure iron are calculated separately by earlier proposed methods using literature experimental data. Aluminium dissolved into NaCl solution as the Al3+ ions at room temperature and at temperature 100°C, iron dissolved into NaCl solution as the Fe2+ (not Fe3+) ions at room temperature and at temperature 100°C, copper dissolved into NaCl solution as the Cu+ ions at room temperature, and as the Cu+ and the Cu2+ ions at temperature 100°C. It is found experimentally that copper corrosion is higher than aluminium corrosion, and the ratio of electrochemical corrosion rates, kCu/kAl > 1, decreases with temperature increasing, although iron electrochemical corrosion rate does not depend on temperature below 100°C. It is obvious because the melting point of iron is higher than the melting point of copper or aluminium. It is calculated that copper electrochemical corrosion rate is approximately equal to aluminium electrochemical corrosion at a temperature of about 300°C, so the copper can dissolve into NaCl solution mostly as the Cu2+ ions at a temperature of about 300°C. The ratio of intrinsic diffusivities, DCu/DAl < 1, increases with temperature increasing, and intrinsic diffusivity of aluminium could be approximately equal to intrinsic diffusivity of copper at a temperature of about 460°C.