SECM and SKPFM Studies of the Local Corrosion Mechanism of Al Alloys - A Pathway to an Integrated SKP-SECM System

Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy and Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy were applied for the investigation of localized corrosion on heterogeneous aiming on the investigation of the possible correlation between the local surface potential differences, measured by the Kelvin probe technique in ambient conditions, and corrosion during immersion in a corrosive electrolyte. A model sample mimicking the interaction of Al and Cu in Al alloys was chosen to demonstrate the complementary nature of the information received from SKPFM and SECM. The necessary prerequisites for a future integration of SKP and SECM into a single set-up are discussed.