The kinetics of anodic and cathodic polarization of aluminium and its alloys

Abstract

The relatively complex corrosion mechanism of aluminium has been studied by several authors. Corrosion of aluminium occurs only when the metal protective oxide layer is damaged and when the repair mechanism is prevented by chemical dissolution. Polarization methods have been extensively used to investigate the mechanism of localised corrosion and processes that lead to localised corrosion. The potential‐pH diagrams are shown in Fig. 1A. In using potentiostatic techniques, the potential is controlled and current is determined as the independent variable. Potentiostatic and potentiody‐namic techniques have been applied by several authors to study the corrosion of aluminium in different environment. Both anodic and cathodic polarization curves have been used to interpret the kinetics of pitting corrosion of aluminium in chloride containing environments. Both the anodic and cathodic process are complex and the interpretation of the anodic and cathodic polarization curves of aluminium is often tedious. The situation arises partly from the fact that the role of film formation on the kinetics of corrosion is not clearly understood. Previously there is not established mechanisms of initiation and propagation of pits in aluminium and its alloys. Several parameters such as pitting potential, breakdown potential, active passive transition potential, related to the pitting process of aluminium, are full of controversy. Numerous references on the above can be found in literature).