Instantaneous Corrosion Rates of Partially Reversible Metal/Metal Ion Systems by Faradaic Rectification. I. Theory

Abstract

A unique solution is offered to the problem of instantaneous corrosion rate determination of metals in media where the equilibrium potential of the metal is displaced from its corrosion potential to an arbitrary (and unknown) extent. The method is based on faradaic rectification at the metal/solution interface in the absence of concentration polarisation. The unique features of the method are measurement at a single a.c. frequency, absence of errors from double layer charging, validity for any degree of displacement of the equilibrium potential from the corrosion potential and a built-in correction for the exchange current of the metal/metal ion reaction.

As a special case, the practical utility of the method for a fast monitoring of the corrosion of battery electrodes in battery electrolytes has been pointed out.