Application of micro-electrochemical technologies in atmospheric corrosion of thin electrolyte layer

The atmospheric corrosion of a metal under a thin electrolyte layer is caused due to the adsorption of the thin electrolyte layer on metal surfaces. As the electrolyte layer is considerably thin, the application of a traditional three-electrode system is considerably difficult; therefore, localized electrochemical technologies are of great use in this field. Herein, different localized electrochemical techniques for atmospheric corrosion under a thin liquid film were discussed. In particular, the applications of scanning Kelvin probe microscopy, wire-beam electrodes, and micro-droplet electrodes were introduced and comprehensively explained. In addition, the key parameters of the tests, which show the relation between thin film/droplet size and corrosion kinetics, were summarized. Furthermore, the issues that currently exist in this field and the potential for improvement was proposed in this research.