Descripción del proyecto
THE MAIN AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE SCANNING ELECTROCHEMICAL MICROSCOPY (SECM) TECHNIQUE FOR ITS APPLICATION TO THE INVESTIGATION OF THE EARLY STAGES OF LOCALIZED CORROSION PHENOMENA IN METALLIC MATERIALS, BOTH FOR THE NON-PROCESSED MATERIALS AND AFTER THE APPLICATION OF PROTECTION CORROSION STRATEGIES. THE MAIN NEW ADVANCES WILL BE DIRECTED TO EXPLOITING THE NEW CAPABILITY OF BUILDING MULTIPIPETTE-BASED TIPS FOR EXPLORING A NEW RANGE OF COMBINED OPERATIONS IN SECM WITH THE GOAL TO ENHANCE THE RESOLUTION OF POTENTIOMETRIC SECM OPERATION TO ATTAIN A REAL QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS, AND THE COMBINATION OF AMPEROMETRIC OR POTENTIOMETRIC OPERATION WITH THE MEASUREMENT OF LOCAL IMPEDANCE DATA AT THE TIP BY DEVELOPING A FASTER-ACQUISITION SCANNING ELECTROCHEMICAL IMPEDANCE MICROSCOPY (SEIM) OPERATION THAT WILL OVERCOME THE CURRENT LIMITATIONS DUE TO NON-STATIONARITY IN ACTIVE CORROSION PROCESSES. THE POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS WILL BE DIRECTED TO OBTAINING EXPERIMENTAL INFORMATION, AT MICROMETRIC AND SUBMICROMETRIC SCALES, ON THE MECHANISMS OF 3 HOT CORROSION ISSUES AT PRESENT, NAMELY, (I) THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE INITIAL STAGES OF ACTIVE METAL DISSOLUTION IN LIGHT-WEIGHT MATERIALS AND THE ONSET OF HYDROGEN GAS EVOLUTION, WHILE EXPLORING THE ROLE OF SURFACE FILMS, IMPURITIES AND INCLUSIONS; (II) THE REACTIVITY AND CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF PASSIVE OXIDE LAYERS ON BIOMATERIALS FOR THE FABRICATION OF SURFACES WITH TAILORED CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS; AND (III) THE MECHANISM THAT OPERATES IN THE WATER UPTAKE AND EARLY STAGES OF ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION ACCUMULATION BELOW AN ORGANIC COATING PRIOR TO THE FORMATION OF A DELAMINATION FRONT, WITH A VIEW TO GAIN INSIGHTS ON THE ELECTRICAL AND CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTIONS ORIGINATING IN THE SYSTEM. THE LATTER WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE FUNDAMENTAL INFORMATION ON THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR THE SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONALIZED SMART ANTICORROSION COATINGS THAT WOULD ALLOW THE CONTROLLED RELEASE OF INHIBITORY SUBSTANCES FOR THE HEALING OF DEFECTS IN PROTECTIVE BARRIER SYSTEMS UNDER THE ACTION OF LOCAL STIMULI. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE:(1) PROGRESS IN THE RESOLUTION AND CHEMICAL SPECIFICITY OF POTENTIOMETRIC TIPS USING TWO DIFFERENT ION-SELECTIVE MICROELECTRODES (ISME) FOR CROSS REFERENCE OF THEIR SIGNALS, AND CONTAINING A COMMON INTERNAL REFERENCE ELECTRODE TO CANCEL THE ELECTRIC FIELD CONTRIBUTION. (2) FASTER OPERATION OF SCANNING ELECTROCHEMICAL IMPEDANCE MEASUREMENTS (SEIM) AND RELIABILITY OF ITS RESPONSE AS REGARDS TO GEOMETRICAL FACTORS IN THE SAMPLE AND/OR THE CONFINED ELECTROLYTE.(3) TO IDENTIFY THE ROLES OF OXIDE LAYER FORMATION AND IMPURITIES IN THE CORROSION REACTION OF PURE MAGNESIUM, IN ORDER TO DEVELOP ELECTROCHEMICAL STRATEGIES FOR SURFACE MODIFICATION AND PROTECTION.(4) THE GALVANIC CORROSION MECHANISMS BEHIND THE ACTION OF INTERMETALLICS AND INCLUSIONS ON THE CORROSION OF AN ALUMINUM ALLOY.(5) THE MODIFICATION OF OXIDE LAYERS ON TITANIUM-BASED MATERIALS USING ELECTROCHEMICAL STRATEGIES TO PRODUCE CHANGES IN RESISTIVITY FOR REDUCED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO PASSIVITY BREAKDOWN.(6) IMAGING OF THE TRANSPORT PHENOMENA THROUGH ORGANIC COATINGS APPLIED ON METALS RELATED TO WATER UPTAKE AND THE INGRESS OF IONIC COMPONENTS FROM THE ELECTROLYTE LEADING TO THE FORMATION OF CONFINED ELECTROLYTES AT THE METAL/COATING INTERFACE, AND ITS EFFECT ON METAL-COATING DISBONDMENT AND THE FORMATION OF A DELAMINATION FRONT. ORROSION\CORROSION LOCALIZADA SEVERA\VISUALIZACION QUIMICA\RECUBRIMIENTOS PROTECTORES\PASIVIDAD\MICROELECTROQUIMICA