Atmospheric corrosion of nickel in various outdoor environments

Abstract As part of a field exposure program in the north-west of France on atmospheric corrosion of metal and alloys, this study presents the results of the behaviour of nickel panels exposed in industrial, urban and rural atmospheres. Mass measurements were investigated during the exposure and adherent corrosion layers were followed by means of several methods of analysis: Fourier transform infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis. In order to determine all the chemical species formed in the corrosion layers, corrosion products released from the surface by rainfall were also studied by collecting the streaming water from the nickel surfaces. Anionic and cationic quantities in the streaming water were determined respectively with ionic chromatography and polarography. The nickel attack appears as a pitting corrosion process accompanied by the formation of soluble corrosion products in dry exposure periods, these being regularly dissolved by rainfall events. Pits are associated with the formation of nickel salts, mainly sulphates and chlorides with small amounts of nitrate, and surrounded by carbonate species. The corrosion rate increases from rural to industrial areas.