In-situ Measurement of Localized Corrosion on the Nanoscale

Corrosion initiation and propagation is often dictated by nanoscale microstructural heterogeneities that can have markedly different electrochemical properties than the matrix. Measurement of the electrochemical properties phase-by-phase on the nanoscale in real alloys is critical to understanding the microstructure-corrosion relationship and subsequently controlling it. This work presents a novel AFM based in-situ corrosion probing methodology that is capable of resolving the electrochemical activity into the nanometer range; the method subsequently having major ramifications in the study of aluminum alloy corrosion, the interpretation of corrosion propagation, and the subsequent development of corrosion resistant aluminum alloys.