Corrosion of iron in electrolytic anhydrous methanol solutions containing ferric chloride

Abstract

Polarization curves of an iron electrode were measured in 0.1 M LiClO 4—anhydrous methanol solutions containing various concentrations of ferric chloride under an argon atmosphere. The corrosion current density was remarkably enhanced by the addition of FeCl 3 to the methanol solution. The value of 0.118 mA cm −2 at 1 × 10 −2 M of the FeCl 3 concentration, for example, was about 500 times higher than that of iron in the methanol solution without FeCl 3. Both cathodic Fe 3+ reduction and anodic Cl −-catalysed iron dissolution were stimulated in the presence of FeCl 3. The anodic process was suppressed at 0.1 M of FeCl 3 because the surface was covered with Fe 3O 4.