Applications of Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) for the investigation of local corrosion processes

Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) is a technique well suited for the local study of corrosion processes because it provides information in situ, in the micron and submicron scales, on the topography and electrochemical activity of reactive surfaces in aqueous solution. The spatial resolution is attained by rastering a probe in close vicinity of the active surface, allowing to compare local responses in different regions. In this communication various operation modes of the technique are applied for the investigation of localized corrosion processes, illustrating each of them with examples of their application in the corrosion laboratory.