Effect of Halide Additions on Anodic Behavior of Nickel in Sulfuric Acid Solutions

Abstract

Abstract A potentiokinetic study, dE/dt = 950 mV/hr, has been made of the effects of sodium chloride, bromide and iodide additions, in the range 0.001 to 0.1 M, on the anodic behavior of pure nickel in deaerated N/10 sulfuric acid. Each experiment comprised a forward and reverse sweep in the potential range (relative to the standard hydrogen electrode) −0.5 to +1.2 V. Halide additions affected the anodic behavior of the nickel in both active and passive regions. All halides studied lowered the corrosion potential, raised the primary passivation potential and increased the critical passivation current density. Additions of 0.01 M and greater resulted in elimination of the normal passive region. Reactivation was much greater on reverse sweeps with chloride additions than in either plain acid or with other halides. Negative slope marking the active-passive transition on forward sweep sometimes was eliminated but was evident always on the reverse sweep showing that even when attacks in active and passive regions merge there is a change of electrode process at the normal active passive transition.