GROWTH AND DISSOLUTION OF PASSIVATING FILMS

A general theory for the steady state uniform corrosion of passive metals and alloys is described and compared to experimental results referring to oxide films on iron-chromium and iron-nickel alloys and cadmium sulfide films on cadmium. It is also shown that passivation of iron generates large compressive surface stresses. During the incubation time of pitting corrosion, growth and dissolution of the passivating film are nonuniform as one concludes from electrochemical noise, from the statistical distribution function of incubation times and from nucleation exclusion zones around a central pit. © 1990.