Progress in Development of Electrochemical Methods in Corrosion Science and Engineering
The role and impact of four electrochemical techniques in the study of various corrosion applications are discussed, these are: scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET), coupled multi-electrode array (CMEA) technique, scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) and atomic emission spectroelectrochemistry (AESEC). A common theme is an ability to monitor corrosion phenomena in situ on a local electrochemical scale with high resolution of electrochemical and, in some cases, chemical reaction rates. In all cases, the techniques presented here are discussed in the context of specific corrosion problems carried out in full immersion conditions. Examples taken from the current literature, and new data, are presented to demonstrate the use and advantages of these techniques, or a combination of these techniques, as powerful tools for industrially important applications. Here, this includes: assessment of the galvanic interactions and throwing-power of metal-rich primer coatings for active corrosion protection, corrosion/corrosion resistance mechanisms of new metal alloys, the effect of pretreatments on coating integrity, current distributions within a crevice and pitting corrosion.