SOME ASPECTS OF THE ANODIC BEHAVIOR OF ALUMINUM IN NITRATE-CHLORIDE SOLUTIONS

The anodic behavior of 99.99% aluminum in nitrate and nitrate-chloride solutions was examined over a wide range of concentrations. In solutions containing an excess of nitrate ions, the existence of an unusually high passive current was observed. The magnitude of this current was strongly affected by some kinetic factors, such as the duration of a preliminary immersion of the sample in the solution and the rate of polarization. The results of electrochemical measurements were complemented with x-ray photoelectron spectra of the surface films formed at various potentials. © 1979, The Electrochemical Society, Inc. All rights reserved.