Electrochemical techniques for studying tribocorrosion processes

The combined corrosion-wear degradation of materials in sliding contacts immersed in electrically conductive solutions can be investigated in situ by electrochemical techniques. Such techniques are the open circuit potential measurements, the potentiodynamic polarization measurements, and the electrochemical impedance measurements. In this paper, capabilities and present limitations of these techniques are discussed based on a tribocorrosion study of a AISI 316 stainless steel and an iron-nickel alloy immersed in aerated 0.5 M sulfuric acid and sliding against a corundum counterpart. Some novel insights into the tribocorrosion mechanism gathered in this way are discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.