Corrosion Mechanism for Stainless Steel

potential

0.1

domain

all

activity

prepassivity

passivity

transpassivity



Fe + H 2 O → FeOH + )\), ads + + H + 2 - e FeOH + )\), ads + + H → 2+ Fe + H 2 O

Corrosion degrades materials, which is a source of significant expense. This Demonstration explains how steel corrodes. A steel plate (whose main component is iron) is corroded in an acid solution. This plate plays the role of a working electrode in an electrochemical cell, for which the current and potential can be measured.