Electrochemical methods and computer programs for estimating the corrosion state of metal

Metal structures, machine parts and technological equipment can be subject to corrosion due to thermodynamic instability of some metals in contact with the external environment. This applies primarily to “ferrous metals” and manifests itself both when they are found in natural conditions and in technological environments. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor their corrosion behavior during operation and use protective measures if necessary. Among the methods of corrosion monitoring stand out methods based on the principles of electrochemistry, because the mechanism of metal corrosion in contact with electrolytes is subject to the laws of electrochemical kinetics. In this case, electrical parameters (potential, current, resistance, impedance) are measured, which makes it possible to easily accomplish this using modern microprocessor technology and create hardware-software complexes for research and control of the metal corrosion state. Among the many methods and principles of the electrochemical measurement results interpretation for the assessment of the metal corrosion state known to date, it is not always easy to choose the optimal method for a particular problem. This is especially true for professionals associated with the control of the corrosion condition of objects, but who have no fundamental electrochemical training. This review summarizes the main methods of corrosion investigation based on electrochemical measurements and shows their capabilities and the relationship of the parameters used. In addition, a description of the software developed to implement the described methods using the IPC-FRA potentiostatic system is given.