Effect of Surface Structure and Adsorption Phenomena on the Active Dissolution of Iron in Acid Media

An understanding at the molecular level of the processes leading to iron corrosion and of the complex factors influencing it have long been considered a sine qua non condition for progress in the field of corrosion research. During its long history,1-240 this research has provided the scientific background for attempts to master, to prevent, or at least to minimize all kinds of corrosion phenomena as well as to elaborate new highly corrosion-resistant materials. Uniform corrosion in aqueous acid electrolytes is one of the most important corrosion phenomena in practice, being encountered in many branches of the chemical and related industries, during the cleaning of heat-transfer surfaces in traditional power plants, and in the reprocessing of nuclear fuel and decontamination of heavy water reactors. Insight into the processes leading to iron corrosion has mainly come from the study of electrode kinetics using electrochemical methods in conjunction with surface-morphological and crystallographic investigations and chemical analysis of the electrolyte.