| Abstract: | A method has been developed to characterize the passivation film formed on aluminum in marine atmosphere, whether polluted or not by sulphur oxides and fluorides The information thus obtained was integrated by X-ray diffractometric analyses. The following corrosion products were found in the marine atmosphere: Al2O3· 3H2O + Al (oxychoride) + Al (hydroxide) (The latter two compounds had not been revealed by X-ray analysis). The corrosion products found in the polluted atmosphere were: AlF3; Al2(SO4)3 · H2SO4; Al11(OH)30Cl3; AlF1.96(OH)1.4; 16Al(OH,F)3 · 6H2O; AlF1.65(OH)1.35 · H2O. Since the developed method provides useful quantitative information on the aluminum distribution between the various anions, it is deemed to be a useful tool to study the corrosion kineties and mechanism. |
