In Situ Corrosion Studies

The corrosion of metals has a major economic impact, yet the underlying processes that control the phenomenon are very difficult to study. Removal of a corroded sample from its wet environment can change it, so the results of subsequent ex situ characterization may be artifacts. In recent years, there has been considerable interest in the development of in situ techniques that allow examination of metal surfaces during the corrosion process; a few examples of such studies are given here.