Ex-situ and in-situ X-ray diffractions of corrosion products freshly formed on the surface of an iron–silicon alloy

Abstract Ex-situ X-ray diffraction measurements of a small amount of samples extracted from wet corrosion products freshly formed on a pure iron and iron–2 mass% silicon surfaces have been conducted using synchrotron radiation for clarifying the formation process of corrosion products. The results showed that γ-FeOOH was formed on the outer side of wet corrosion products formed on the surface of the pure iron by sodium chloride solution, while γ-FeOOH, α-FeOOH, Fe 3 O 4 , and green rusts were formed on the inner side. On the other hand, in comparison to the case of the pure iron, a significant formation of β-FeOOH was observed in the iron–silicon alloy. Influences of silicon alloying on corrosion products formed by aqueous solution containing sulfate ions were also observed. Furthermore, in-situ diffraction measurements by a conventional X-ray source were conducted for analyzing corrosion products formed on the pure iron and iron–silicon alloy surfaces by cyclic exposure to wet and dry atmospheres. The results obtained by the in-situ diffraction and ex-situ diffraction measurements on the corrosion products were consistent.