Surface characterization and corrosion behavior of 70/30 Cu–Ni alloy in pristine and sulfide-containing simulated seawater

Abstract The corrosion behavior of the 70/30 Cu–Ni alloy in stagnant, aerated pristine and sulfide-containing simulated seawater as a function of exposure time was investigated with polarization curve measurement and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It was demonstrated that the compact protective oxide film formed on the 70/30 Cu–Ni alloy resulted in the decrease of corrosion rate in aerated pristine seawater; while the corrosion rate of 70/30 Cu–Ni alloy in aerated sulfide-containing seawater increased dramatically due to the catalysis of the sulfide ions or sulfide scale for both the cathodic and anodic reactions. The impedance spectra and the corresponding equivalent circuits confirmed that a duplex layer of a surface film was formed on the 70/30 Cu–Ni alloy in aerated pristine seawater after a period of time and that the inner layer was responsible for the good resistance of the alloy; while only a porous and non-protective corrosion product layer formed on the 70/30 Cu–Ni alloy in aerated sulfide-containing seawater, which made small values of charge transfer resistance ( R ct ) to last for a abnormally long time by interfering with the growth of the protective oxide film. The composition of the surface film on the alloy in pristine and sulfide-containing seawater for different exposure times were investigated thoroughly by XPS. It was found that the duplex corrosion product layer formed on the alloy in pristine seawater was composed of an inner Cu 2 O and an outer CuO layer. The porous and non-protective corrosion product layer formed on the alloy in aerated sulfide-containing seawater was a mixture of CuCl, Cu 2 S, NiS, Cu 2 O and NiO with trace amounts of CuO and Ni(OH) 2 and that the most significant component was Cu 2 S. In addition, SEM was used to analyze the topography of the 70/30 Cu–Ni alloy in both solutions after different exposure times.