Techniques for Studying In Situ Corrosion and Related Surface and Interfacial Phenomena

An in situ optical microscopy and electrochemical analysis method is presented for studying corrosion processes of metals and alloys (316L SS, Al 6061, Mg) in aerated and deaerated solutions (0.5 M and 6M NaCl, 1M H2SO4). Real time optical images were recorded for various in situ physical surface changes (etching, pitting, surface discoloration, gas bubbles), microstructure (inclusions, grain boundaries, dislocation slip traces, twins) and correlated to the electrochemical (potentiostatic, potentiodynamic, polarization) data measured simultaneously. This technique is reviewed along with other in situ surface analytical probes including recent advances in optical microscopy methods involving higher resolution imaging and the results are discussed in terms of theories and current applications in the field of study. This super-resolution patent review highlights developments in optical microscopy [14], phototransformable optical labels [14, 17, 19], and double confocal microscopy [17], and corrosion results from near-field scanning optical microscopy, and in situ confocal laser scanning microscopy compared to our in situ optical microscopy plus electrochemical analysis.