Publications

The objective of this study was to determine if a distribution of pit induction times (from potentiostatic experiments) could be used to predict a distribution of pitting potentials (from potentiodynamic experiments) for high-purity aluminum. Pit induction times were measured for 99.99 Al in 50 mM NaCl at potentials of -0.35, -0.3, -0.25, and -0.2 V vs. saturated calomel electrode. Analysis of the data showed that the pit germination rate generally was an exponential function of the applied potential; however, a subset of the germination rate data appeared to be mostly potential insensitive. The germination rate behavior was used as an input into a mathematical relationship that provided a prediction of pitting potential distribution. Good general agreement was found between the predicted distribution and an experimentally determined pitting potential distribution, suggesting that the relationships presented here provide a suitable means for quantitatively describing pit germination rate.

Abstract not provided.

Engineered Cu-rich islands were fabricated on an Al thin film to investigate pit initiation mechanisms at noble particles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms that the thin film Cu-rich islands interdiffuse with the underlying Al substrate to form Al{sub 2}Cu islands. The defect arrays exhibit open circuit potential fluctuations whose magnitude and frequency increase as defect spacing decreases for constant island size and cathode/anode ratio. Post-exposure examination by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) shows that the Al beneath the Cu-rich island dissolves with a crevice geometry. Engineered Al islands fabricated under identical conditions do not induce crevice corrosion in the vicinity of the Al defects. These results suggest that the Al dissolution is driven by the galvanic coupling between the noble island and matrix, and/or by a local change in chemistry, rather than by the presence of a defective oxide in the vicinity of the island.