Electrochemical behavior of some copper alloys in sulfuric acid solutions

Abstract

AbstractIn this article, the corrosion behavior of CuFe and CuAlFe was studied in H2SO4 solutions in the absence and presence of different concentrations of some inorganic additives, Na2MoO4, K2Cr2O7, KIO3, and Na2B4O7. The techniques of measurements used were open‐circuit potential, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The polarization measurements indicated that the corrosion current, Icorr, of CuFe is less than that of CuAlFe. The investigated additives in H2SO4 shifted Ecorr to more positive values and increases Icorr. Impedance measurements indicated that Nyquist plots for CuFe may be regarded as a semi‐circle in early stages of immersion and tends to be a part of semi‐circle with elapse of time and a well‐defined inductive loop appears. In case of CuAlFe, the Nyquist plots tends to be semi‐circle or depressed semi‐circle. The values of Rp for CuFe are higher than those for CuAlFe. On the other hand, the values of Cdl for CuFe are lower than those obtained for CuAlFe. The presence of these additives in H2SO4 solutions decreases the values of polarization resistance (Rp) and increases the values of corrosion current density (Icorr) and capacitance of double layer (Cdl).