Effect of Crystal Orientation on the Anodic Polarization and Passivity of Zinc

Abstract Potentiostatic polarization measurements on exposed (0001), (1010), and (1120) faces of single crystals and on polycrystalline zinc were made in aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide. Crystal orientation was observed to have a well defined effect on anodic polarization with overvoltages for active dissolution increasing with increasing density of crystal planar packing. Potentials for passivation were equal for (0001) and (1010) crystal specimens, which were both noble to potentials for (1120) specimens.