Comparison of polarization curve—and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance methods for determination of copper corrosion rate

Abstract The two methods of determining corrosion rate of copper in different media, polarization curve (PC) and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), has been compared. The polarization curve method based on Gauss–Newton non-linear fitting was applied to estimate corrosion rate and other electrochemical parameters in the low polarization region. The frequency shift of EQCM during the corrosion process was simultaneously recorded during the polarization process and directly related to the mass change of the copper electrode. The results of electrodeposited copper from these two methods in the solutions with different inhibitors were also compared. It was obvious that the presence of inhibitors including benzotriazole and benzoic acid influenced corrosion rate and other electrochemical parameters. It was found that EQCM was a promising technique in determining corrosion rate for its fast, efficient and reliable operation.