Non-invasive Technology to Study Local Passivity Breakdown of Metal Alloys in Aqueous Media
Little is known about the basic mechanisms of passive oxide breakdown, repair, and localized corrosion of metals. A non-invasive instrument and methods have been developed to study local events and mechanisms that initiate passivity breakdown and subsequent corrosion of metals in aqueous media. The ''difference viewer imaging technique'' (DVIT) is a rapid, real time, non-invasive assay to study metal surfaces in corrosive solutions. It has a spatial resolution of less than 10.0 ?m (1cm x 1cm sample, 1000 x 1000 pixel CCD) to observe initial corrosion processes of the order of seconds. DVIT is a software-controlled video microscopy system and methods to collect and analyze pixel changes in video images. These images are recorded from a digital CCD video camera and frame grabber package using visible light for illumination. The DVIT system detects changes in video images that represent initial corrosive events that lead to passivity breakdown and re-passivation on metal surfaces in situ. This visual technique is easy to use and apply. It compliments other metal surface measurement techniques and can be used simultaneously with them. DVIT has proven to be more sensitive in detecting changes than scanning microelectrode techniques. DVIT is also much easier than other methods to apply and operate. It has the further advantage of providing a real time image of the entire metal surface under study instead of waiting for a microelectrode to scan a number of data points over a sample then plot the results. This project has fulfilled all specifications as outlined in the Department of Energy solicitation responsible for this grant application and award and exceeded a number of the specifications. Applicable Electronics, Inc. now has a marketable instrument and software package available for sale now. Further development of the system will be ongoing as driven by customer needs and discoveries. This technology has immediate applications in corrosion labs to further study corrosion. It will also be useful to test coatings on metals as an industrial laboratory assay tool. The software can also process any timed series of digitized images to extract new information. Processing astronomical image data is another possible application for the software component. We also intend to apply these methods to biological research scenarios where it will be useful. Imaging extra-cellular proton flux around plant roots is currently being planned as a student project.
- Research Organization:
- Applicable Electronics, Inc.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-01ER83144
- OSTI ID:
- 837571
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/83144-1; CRADA BNL C-01-12; TRN: US200707%%74
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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