Surface characterization for corrosion monitoring

Corrosion is a common problem in many sectors that use metallic structures. Corrosion affects a wide range of technical materials, including microelectronics, orthopedic implants, large civil infrastructure projects, and the things we use on a daily basis. This issue leads to significant material and economic losses as a result of machinery replacements or plant shutdowns for maintenance. Even it poses a significant hazard to human safety and health. Numerous methods have been devised to combat the problem. A wide range of techniques like weight loss, electrochemical analysis, theoretical analysis, and surface morphological techniques are employed to assess the level of protection. The main objective of this chapter is to discuss the various conventional surface morphological techniques like scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) along with some new fast-growing techniques like scanning electrochemical microscopy, etc. employed in corrosion study will be discussed. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.