Non-monotonic influence of a magnetic field on the electrochemical behavior of Fe78Si9B13 glassy alloy in NaOH and NaCl solutions

The corrosion behavior and microstructure of Fe78Si9B13 glassy alloy in NaOH and NaCl solutions under a 0.02-T magnetic field were investigated through electrochemical testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The current-density prepeak (PP) in the anodic polarization curves in low-concentration NaOH solutions (classified as type I) tends to disappear when the NaOH concentration is increased to 0.4 mol/L and the magnetic field is applied. Under the magnetic field, the height of the second current-density peak is increased in low-concentration NaOH solutions (type I) but decreased in high-concentration NaOH solutions (type II). The non-monotonic effect of the magnetic field was similarly observed in the case of polarization curves of samples measured in NaCl solutions. Ring-like corroded patterns and round pits are easily formed under the magnetic field in NaOH and NaCl solutions. These experimental results were discussed in terms of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effect.