Application of Copper Thin Layer Electrical Resistance Sensor for Corrosion Monitoring in Aggressive Environments

Corrosion is a major problem in the industry that could pose damage to the environment and the economy. In this context, the monitoring of corrosion is essential. Several methods of corrosion monitoring have been proposed in recent decades such as the electrical resistance technique. This technique is used to measure the weight loss of a thin metal layer resulting from a change in electrical resistance. Our objective is to elaborate a sensor based on the electrical change of a thin layer of copper that allows following the corrosion according to the principle of the electrical resistance method. This last approach allowed us to follow the corrosiveness of aggressive environments such as HCl, H₂SO₄ and NaCl depending on the temperature. The results of studies obtained by an electrochemical characterization (OCP, EIS, Tafel), electrical and optical characterization show that the electrical resistance sensor is a reliable and promising tool that not only applies to corrosion monitoring of metallic materials but also to classify environments according to their corrosivity.