Identification of the system character through accumulated charge curve

Abstract

[EN] The corrosion rate in metals is usually studied by means of the application a potential signal with the purpose of leading the system to unbalance conditions, due to an electric current response is produced. This response is recorded and processed through the electric circuit analogy. Doing the fitting of the response to the properly model is getting the corrosion current. The application of voltammetric potential pattern to the analysis of corrosion, it is very useful, because does not produce polarization of the system. There fore, with this technique is possible to perform tests in sequence without the results being affected. Furthermore, through the integration over time of the electric current response, the accumulated electric charge curve is got which is very useful to the quickly identification of the system behaviour (faradic or non-faradic behaviour). In this paper, it is showed the capability of characterization a system through the accumulated electric charge; it allows identifying at a glance if the system has a faradic behaviour or a non-faradic behaviour. This will be very effective in the monitoring of the metal elements that are out of sight, such as: buried metal conduits or the reinforcement bars in the reinforcement concrete structures.