The electrochemical behaviour and surface changes on AA6061-T6 alloy exposed to Caribbean seawater from the Cozumel Channel for 30 days under laminar flow (0.1 m s−1) were studied, contrasting then with stationary (no flow) conditions. Monitoring of open-circuit potential and current fluctuations, both considered as electrochemical noise (EN), were employed as two nondestructive methods. The calculated corrosion current, based on Rn, was one order higher in laminar flow. The fluctuations of current were transformed in the frequency domain. Their power spectral density (PSD) plots were obtained in order to gain information concerning the dynamic of the spontaneous release of energy during the corrosion process. The value of the exponent β in PSD graphs suggested that the localised corrosion on AA6061-T6 surface occurs as a persistent stationary process, in which dynamic is controlled by oxygen diffusion and its renewal at the metal interface. The changes in the morphology and elemental composition of the formed layers revealed that the localized attacks occurred in the vicinity of intermetallic particles rich in Fe and Cu, which act as cathodes.

The electrochemical behaviour and surface changes on AA6061-T6 alloy exposed to Caribbean seawater from the Cozumel Channel for 30 days under laminar flow (0.1 ms À1) were studied, these contrasting then with stationary conditions. Open circuit potential monitoring and electrochemical current fluctuations, considered as electrochemical noise (EN), were employed as two nondestructive methods. The calculated corrosion current, based on Rn, was one order higher in laminar flow. The fluctuations of current were transformed in the frequency domain. Their power spectral density (PSD) plots were obtained in order to gain information concerning the dynamic of the spontaneous release of energy during the corrosion process. The value of the exponent β in PSD graphs suggested that the localised corrosion on AA6061-T6 surface occurs as a persistent stationary process, which dynamic is controlled by oxygen diffusion. The changes in the morphology and elemental composition of the formed layers revealed that the localised attacks occurred in the vicinity of intermetallic particles rich in Fe and Cu, which act as cathodes.

The present work compared the initial stages of corrosion process development on the AM60-AlN metal matrix nanocomposite surface and on AM60, during their exposure for 30 days to simulated acid rain solution (SAR). The AlN nanoparticles were observed as “attached” to those of Mn-rich AlMn intermetallic particles, forming clusters. The introduction of 1.0 wt.% AlN (≈ 80 nm) in the AM60 alloy carried a slight grain refinement and favored the formation of a denser and more protective corrosion layer, suggested by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) values of higher charge transfer resistance (R2) and capacitance, characteristic of the double layer in the presence of corrosion products, and also suggested by Rn (EN) values, compared to those of the AM60 alloy. Thus, the concentration of the released Mg-ions from the composite surface was lower. Due to the increase in time of the SAR solution pH, Al de-alloying may occur, as well as Al(OH)3 formation, as confirmed by XPS analysis. Due to the presence of Cl-ions in SAR solution, localized corrosion was observed, suggested as fractional Gaussian noise of a stationary and persistent process in time, according to the PSD of the corrosion current fluctuations (EN).

The effects of temperature, velocity and naphthenic acids concentration in the corrosive mechanism of 5%Cr-1%Mo steel were studied in a dynamic autoclave by Electrochemical Impedance spectroscopy and Potentiodynamic Polarization Curves with an electrochemical cell of three electrodes: reference and counter electrode was made of Au and working electrode was 5%Cr-1Mo sample. The sample was exposed to mineral oil-naphthenic acids solutions to different concentrations and atmospheric pressure. Contrary to the velocity effect, the temperature has a huge influence in the steel corrosion: to 180°C the steel exhibits lower corrosion rate, however, increasing temperature promotes the thermal composition of complex naphthenic acids, reflecting a reduction in electrochemical polarization resistance, increasing the corrosion rate. Moreover, the temperature is closely related to the concentration acid effect, since the kinetics of corrosion changes significantly when the system is subjected to higher temperatures. These results were complemented with surfaces characterizations by SEM and EDX.

The initial stages of AM60-AlN nanocomposite and AM60 corrosion behaviors were compared over 30 days of exposure to solution (NaCl, Na2SO4 and NaHCO3), simulating the marine-coastal environment (SME). The incorporation of AlN nanoparticles (1.0 wt.%) in the AM60 alloy matrix favored the lower roughness of the AM60-AlN, associated with the grain refinement in the matrix. During the immersion of the alloys, pH of the SME solution shifted to alkaline values >9, and therefore, the solubility of AlN aluminum hydroxide phases were raised, followed by a slightly higher release of Mg-ions and corrosion rate increase. The chloride ions attributed to the unstability of the Al-Mn phase and Al(OH)3 corrosion product was formed in a low content. The composite AM60-AlN presented lower value of the electrochemical noise resistance (Rn), suggesting that the corrosion process occurs with less difficulty. The localized corrosion near the Al-Mn cathodes seems to be stronger on the composite surface, in area and depth of penetration. The corrosion current fluctuations suggested that the corrosion is a weakly persistent process, dominated by the fractional Gaussian noise (fGn).