Materials End-of-Life Flashcards
(168 cards)
What is corrosion?
The destruction/deterioration of a materials as a result of reaction with its environment.
What do we usually refer to as corrosion?
The reaction of a metallic species with water or oxygen (oxidation).
Why do metals oxidise when exposed to water/oxygen?
Most metals are less stable than their oxides, hence they have a thermodynamic tendency to oxidise.
What is the rate of corrosion controlled by?
The kinetics of the anodic and cathodic reactions.
Can the anode and cathode always be separated?
No. In the case of iron in sulphuric acid both reactions happen side-by-side on adjacent parts of the surface.
What is the usual cathodic reduction of oxygen in a neutral aerated environment?
O2 + 2H2O +4e -> 4OH-
Under what conditions are Fe2+ ions stable?
Only under acidic conditions.
In alkali conditions, the ions react to form iron(II) hydroxide or oxides.
In neutral conditions hydrolyses to form H+ ions and Fe(OH)+ or Fe(OH)2
For many metals, what happens to the environment around the anode?
It becomes acidic.
Similarly, the environment around the anode often becomes alkaline.
Can we measure electrode potentials on an absolute scale?
No. It is a scale relative to the standard hydrogen electrode. It doesn’t matter on the electrode and often the standard calomel electrode is used (SCE)
What is happening when an electrode establishes an equilibrium against a reference electrode?
The cathodic and anodic reactions are taking place at the same rate. The electrons from one are being consumed by the other.
What is the reversible potential of an electrode?
The potential of an electrode when it is in equilibrium with a reference electrode.
What happens if the potential is shifted to be more positive than the reversible potential of an electrode?
The anodic reaction starts to predominate.
What happens if the potential is shifted to be more negative than the reversible potential of an electrode?
The cathodic reaction dominates.
What is the basic principle of cathodic protection?
A supply of electrons from a current lowers the potential below the reversible value thus a metals in solution stays as a metal.
Derive the Nernst equation
Check
In corrosion, we are dealing with a ‘mixed electrode’. What does this mean for the equilibrium potential?
It will be an intermediate value between the two riverside potentials of the half reactions.
How to test to make a polarisation curve?
Connect a second electrode to form a cell such that a potential difference can be applied between the two electrodes and a current is forced to flow. A polarisation curve can be plotted as we investigate how the rate of anodic and cathodic reactions are affected by the potential.
Derive the Tafel equation.
Check
Write the Tafel equations in terms of overpotential and logs.
Check
What is the point in a Tafel plot where the anodic and cathodic lines cross?
The reversible potential
What is an Evans diagram?
A plot of potential against current where polarisation curves for the cathodic and anodic reactions of species can be plotted.
What is the current when two lines cross on an Evans diagram?
The corrosion current.
On Evans diagrams, why do cathodic curves often sweep downwards at increased current?
There is oxygen depletion at the surface if the metal which causes a potential shift (concentration polarisation). The current at which this happens is the limiting current density and it is caused by the cathodic current being limited by the rate of oxygen diffusion.
What is cathodic control?
A system in which the rate of metal attack is determined by the rate of the cathodic reaction.