Abstract
The initial steady-state electrode potential of mild steel in a vigorously aerated salt solution is believed to be a type of potential not previously described in that, for a given type of surface preparation of metal, it is wholly controlled by the nature and concentration of the anions in solution. It is a function of the area of breakdown of the oxide film on the metal surface; it is dynamically maintained and is not primarily determined by thermodynamic considerations. The quantitative relationships between the concentration of salt, the steady-state potential of ths steel and the associated corrosion rate have been investigated and explained. The measurement of such potentials provides a very simple method of assessing the relative effect of different anions on the stability of the oxide film.
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