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Nano-scale Imaging of Corrosion: Application of Scanning Polarization Force Microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Qing Dai
Affiliation:
Aerodyne Research, Inc., 45 Manning Road, Billerica, MA 01821
Jun Hu
Affiliation:
Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, UC. Banerdkeley, CA 94720, USA
Andrew Freedman
Affiliation:
Aerodyne Research, Inc., 45 Manning Road, Billerica, MA 01821
Gary N. Robinson
Affiliation:
Aerodyne Research, Inc., 45 Manning Road, Billerica, MA 01821
Miquel Salmeron
Affiliation:
Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, UC. Banerdkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Abstract

Scanning Polarization Force Microscopy, a recently developed non-contact imaging technique, is employed for the study of sulfuric acid induced aluminum corrosion. The morphological changes occurring during the corrosion of aluminum by sulfuric acid droplets were imaged in situ with nanometer resolution using Scanning Polarization Force Microscopy. The results of these experiments not only demonstrate the potential applications of SPFM in imaging liquid surfaces and weakly adsorbed species, they also offer new insights into the mechanisms of atmospheric corrosion.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

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