Electrochemical corrosion behavior of bronze materials in an acid-containing simulated atmospheric environment

Abstract

The present work investigates the corrosion behavior of bronze materials under thin electrolyte layers (TELs) in a simulated atmospheric environment containing formic and acetic acid by electrochemical measurements as well as surface characterization. The results show that the corrosion of bronze under TEL is significantly faster than that in the bulk solution, and the corrosion rate of bronze is the highest when the thickness of TEL is about 100 μm. Formic acid is observed to be more corrosive than acetic acid. Copper formate and copper acetate hydrate appear in the corrosion products formed on the surface of bronze, suggesting that the organic acid participates in the corrosion process of bronze materials in the simulated atmospheric environment.