The Corrosion of Cu-Ni Alloys 706 and 715 in Flowing Sea Water. II — Effect of Dissolved Sulfide

The corrosion of 90:10 Cu:Ni and 70:30 Cu:Ni alloys in sulfide polluted flowing sea water has been studied as a function of sulfide concentration. The experimental techniques used include small amplitude cyclic voltammetry, AC impedance measurements, large amplitude cyclic voltammetry, and extensive surface examination by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Auger electron spectrometry (AES). It is shown that the presence of sulfide induces a loss in passivity of the alloy surface due to the formation of cuprous sulfide as the principal corrosion product. Furthermore, accelerated corrosion of these materials in sulfide polluted sea water appears to arise from a shift in the corrosion potential to sufficiently active values that hydrogen evolution becomes a viable cathodic process.