New Fundamental Aspects of Atmospheric Corrosion

Atmospheric corrosion processes take place in a highly complex interfacial regime with three phases (solid, liquid, and gas) and two interfaces (solid/liquid and liquid/gas). To explore atmospheric corrosion from a more molecular perspective is a highly challenging task. However, with the access and development of interface sensitive analytical techniques, it is nowadays possible to perform molecular in situ analyses of all phases and interfaces involved in atmospheric corrosion. Results will be presented herein that originate from our most recent research efforts to provide molecular information from the interfacial regime that governs atmospheric corrosion. Using copper or zinc as substrate exposed to a humidity-containing atmosphere with addition of carboxylic acids, results have been obtained under in situ conditions. Particular emphasis has been on probing the metal oxide/water interface (by infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy combined with the quartz crystal microbalance, sum frequency generation and atomic force microscopy) and the water/gas interface (by sum frequency generation), respectively.