Corrosion behaviour of an alloy formed by inductive melting of a cobalt-based alloy and AISI 4140 steel

A bimetal of Co-based alloy/AISI 4140 steel was fabricated by induction melting. The microstructure of the Co-based alloy was examined and the influence of on the alloy of acid solutions, the temperature of these solutions, and the immersion time was investigated. The results show that the microstructure of Co-based alloy consisted of a Co-rich phase, a Cr-rich phase, and W₃CoB₃. In a solution of 20% HCl and 6% FeCl₃, the Co-rich phase was attacked to form porous channels but transformed to a Si-rich passivation film to prevent further attack in the solution of 72% H₂SO₄. Therefore, the relative corrosion resistance of Co-based alloy to acid solution is 72% H₂SO₄ > 20% HCl > 6% FeCl₃.     

Effects of acid type on corrosion and fracture behavior of Ni-Ti superelastic alloy under sustained tensile load in physiological saline solution containing hydrogen peroxide

The effects of acid on the corrosion and fracture behavior of Ni-Ti superelastic alloy have been examined by sustained tensile-loading test in physiological saline solution containing hydrogen peroxide. For immersion test without applied stress at the same solution pH, although corrosion is enhanced markedly irrespective of the type of acid added, corrosion morphology depends on the type of acid added. The amount of dissolved nickel ions increases in the order of the solutions with lactic acid > phosphoric acid > acetic acid. The amount of dissolved nickel ions increases with decreasing solution pH. In contrast, under applied stress, the time to fracture in the solution with phosphoric acid becomes longer than that in the solution without acid, although the time to fracture does not increase in the solution with acetic acid or lactic acid. The time to fracture is only slightly affected by solution pH for the same type of acid added. Fractographic features change in the solution with phosphoric acid. The present study suggests that the fracture behavior of Ni-Ti superelastic alloy in physiological saline solution containing hydrogen peroxide depends on acid type rather than on solution pH; the fracture behavior is not necessarily consistent with the corrosion behavior in the case without applied stress.     

Tunnel morphology of aluminum foil etched by a two-step DC etching method

A two-step DC etching of aluminum foil for capacitor is proposed. The first step DC etching was processed in a solution of HCl + H₂SO₄, the second was finished in a solution containing NaCl with some addition or no addition. Experiments indicated that the tunnel morphology was variable with the composition of electrolyte during the second step DC etching. When the solution of NaCl was used as electrolyte, the density of tunnels was increased. However, when some organic compound was added in the electrolyte of NaCl, the tunnels’ length was increased, and many branch tunnels were fabricated.     

Corrosion behavior of Cr/Cu-coated Mg alloy (AZ91D) in 0.1 M H2SO4 with different concentrations of NaCl

An electroplating process was proposed for obtaining a protective Cr/Cu deposit on the two-phase Mg alloy AZ91D. The corrosion behavior of Cu-covered and Cr/Cu-covered AZ91D specimens was studied electrochemically in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ with different NaCl concentrations. Experimental results showed that the corrosion resistance of an AZ91D specimen improved significantly after Cr/Cu electrodeposition. The corrosion resistance of Cr/Cu-covered AZ91D decreased with increasing NaCl concentration in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ solution. After immersion in a 0.1 M H₂SO₄ with a NaCl-content above 3.5 wt.%, the surface of Cr/Cu-covered AZ91D suffered a few blisters. Cracks through the Cr deposit provided active pathways for corrosion of the Cu and the AZ91D substrate. Formation of blisters on the Cr/Cu-covered AZ91D surface was confirmed based on the results of an open-circuit potential test, which detected an obvious potential drop from noble to active potentials.     

Dissolution of Ti wires in sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid solutions

Ti wire electrodes were immersed in acidic solutions containing H₂SO₄ and HCl of various concentrations at 353 K to evaluate corrosion rate by measurement of electric resistance change (resistometry). Addition of hydrochloric acid to sulphuric acid solution promoted depassivation of Ti. After depassivation, the immersion potential dropped to the hydrogen evolution potential and a hydride layer was formed on the surface. The hydride layer dissolved continuously in the acidic solution. SEM observation showed that Ti wires dissolved almost uniformly in the early stage and that the dissolution then trace became irregular due to nonuniform growth of the hydride layer. Dissolution rate of a Ti wire was estimated almost accurately by resistometry.     

Galvanic corrosion between the constituent phases in duplex stainless steel

The exclusive single-phase with the exact chemical composition of the constituent phase in 2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS) could be prepared using selective dissolution method. The respective electrochemical behavior of each constituent phase could then be measured. The experimental results showed that the two distinct peaks in the active-to-passive transition region of the polarization curve determined in 2 M H₂SO₄ + 0.5 M HCl mixed solution were actually corresponded to the respective anodic peaks of the single austenite and ferrite phases. A polarity reversion was found between austenite and ferrite phases in mixed H₂SO₄ + HCl solution and HNO₃ solution. Galvanic current measurements also revealed that austenite was anode in HNO₃ solution, but became cathode when exposed in 2 M H₂SO₄ + 0.5 M HCl mixed solution.     

The corrosion behaviour of WC-VC-Co hardmetals in acidic media

The effect of increasing vanadium carbide (VC) content on the corrosion behaviour of tungsten carbide - 10 wt% cobalt hardmetals was investigated in 1 M hydrochloric (HCl), and sulphuric (H₂SO₄) acids solutions. Increasing VC content makes the open circuit potential (OCP) in the test solutions more negative than the base alloy. Specimens exhibited pseudo passivation in all the test solutions. Increasing VC led to decreasing corrosion current density. However, the corrosion current densities during chronoamperometric tests were lower for 0 wt% VC. XRD and Raman spectroscopy showed that hydrated WO₃ formed in the surface films of all specimens in hydrochloric acid (HCl), while hydrated vanadyl sulphate also formed for higher VC content specimens in sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄).     

Semiconductor properties and protective role of passive films of iron base alloys

Semiconductor properties of passive films formed on the Fe-18Cr alloy in a borate buffer solution (pH = 8.4) and 0.1 M H₂SO₄ solution were examined using a photoelectrochemical spectroscopy and an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Photo current reveals two photo action spectra that derived from outer hydroxide and inner oxide layers. A typical n-type semiconductor behaviour is observed by both photo current and impedance for the passive films formed in the borate buffer solution. On the other hand, a negative photo current generated, the absolute value of which decreased as applied potential increased in the sulfuric acid solution. This indicates that the passive film behaves as a p-type semiconductor. However, Mott-Schottky plot revealed the typical n-type semiconductor property. It is concluded that the passive film on the Fe-18Cr alloy formed in the borate buffer solution is composed of both n-type outer hydroxide and inner oxide layers. On the other hand, the passive film of the Fe-18Cr alloy in the sulphuric acid consists of p-type oxide and n-type hydroxide layers. The behaviour of passive film growth and corrosion was discussed in terms of the electronic structure in the passive film.     

Effects of potential, temperature and pH on hydrogen absorption and thermal desorption behaviors of Ni-Ti superelastic alloy in 0.9% NaCl solution

The effects of electrochemical potential, solution temperature and pH on the hydrogen absorption and desorption behaviors of Ni-Ti superelastic alloy immersed in 0.9% NaCl solution for 2 h have been investigated systematically by hydrogen thermal desorption analysis. For hydrogen cathodic charging under constant applied potential, upon increasing solution temperature, the critical potential for the hydrogen absorption very slightly shifts to a noble direction. As solution pH decreases, the critical potential for the hydrogen absorption shifts markedly to a noble direction and approaches to the corrosion potential; the critical current density for the hydrogen absorption slightly decreases. At a less noble potential than the critical potential for the hydrogen absorption, the amount of absorbed hydrogen increases markedly with decreasing applied potential. For hydrogen cathodic charging under constant current density, the amount of absorbed hydrogen increases with increasing solution temperature and decreasing solution pH. The basic hydrogen desorption behavior only slightly depends on solution temperature or pH. Nevertheless, hydrogen desorption at low temperatures for specimens subjected to cathodic charging under constant current density is observed distinctly as compared with that under constant applied potential.     

Effects of pretreatment on the aluminium etch pit formation

The effect of chemical pretreatments on the electrochemical etching behavior of aluminium was investigated with the topographic studies of surface and the analysis of initial potential transients. Two-step pretreatments with H₃PO₄ and H₂SiF₆ result in a high density of pre-etch pits on aluminium surface by the incorporation of phosphate ion inside the oxide film and the removal of surface layer by aggressive fluorosilicic acid solution. It generates a high density of etch pits during electrochemical etching and results in the capacitance increase of etched Al electrode by expanding the surface area, up to 61.3 μF/cm² with the pretreatment solution of 0.5 M H₃PO₄ at 65 °C and 10 mM H₂SiF₆ at 45 °C.