Grain-dependent anodic dissolution of iron

The influence of different dissolution techniques (electropolishing or chemical polishing and electrochemical machining (ECM)) on the topography of grains and grain boundaries of polycrystalline iron was analyzed by a combination of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and contact-mode AFM. For electrochemical dissolution at large current densities, small electrode areas were addressed by a capillary microcell to specify the influence of grain orientation on the anodic behaviour, especially the dissolution in sodium nitrate solutions.