A DC electrochemical method for studying the inhibition of metal corrosion by chromate-containing paint

A DC potentiodynamic curve method is used to observe the effect of a pigmented organic coating on the passivity of a metal substrate. In this method, a painted metal coupon, which is scribed to expose metal, functions as the working electrode (WE) of an electrochemical cell; the cell includes a graphite bar counter electrode (CE), a saturated calomel reference electrode (RE), and aqueous electrolyte. Increasingly oxidizing potentials are imposed on the WE by a potentiostat, and current between the WE and CE is measured at each applied potential. The resulting current-voltage (I-V) curve indicates effects of the coating on the metal's open circuit potential and passivity. The passivating effect of a chromate-containing primer paint on mild steel is demonstrated and compared to the passivity of 316 stainless steel. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.