The Avesta cell: A method to avoid crevice corrosion during the electrochemical pitting corrosion tests

Abstract

A very common problem, that occurs during the electrochemical pitting corrosion tests of CRAs (corrosion resistant alloys) as stainless steels, is the simultaneous occurrence of crevice corrosion that difficults the evaluation of the electrochemical behaviour in presence of pitting corrosion mechanism only. Crevice corrosion appears as a consequence of the formation of crevices during the mountage of the specimen in the electrochemical cell. Several forms have been developed to avoid the presence of crevice during the electrochemical pitting corrosion test, but without satisfactory results. In the present study a relatively new and innovative method to eliminate the risk of crevice corrosion in the electrochemical tests is evaluated the Avesta cell. Anodic polarization electrochemical tests were carried out in a high alloy stainless steel in 3 % NaCl solution. The experimental results obtained using the Avesta cell were more reliable, reproducible and representative of the electrochemical behaviour of the material that those obtained using other methods of samples preparation to avoid the crevice formation.