The kinetics of the corrosion of copper containing different amounts of oxygen in 1.7 M H2SO4

The rate of corrosion of rotating copper discs was measured as a function of the concentration of oxygen in metal. It was found that the catastrophic acceleration of the corrosion of the sample occurs at 3 × 10³ ppm of oxygen in metal. In the temperature range 5–75°C, the corrosion resulting from the presence of the oxygen in the metal occurs in the regime of activational control, and it is not influenced by the oxygen dissolved in the acid. The corrosion resulting from the oxygen depolarization occurs in the activational control regime in the temperature range 5–35°C, in the mixed kinetics regime in the range 45–55°C, and in the range 65–75°C in the diffusional regime with respect to the oxygen dissolved in the acid. The overall rate of corrosion of copper containing 8 × 10³ ppm of oxygen is about 20 times greater than the rate of corrosion of copper with oxygen depolarization.