40 Years of J.R. Galvele’s Localized Acidification Pitting Model: Past, Present, and Future Available to Purchase

The localized acidification mechanism for stable pitting growth was the result of pitting research performed by many investigators, led by Galvele. The main point of the mechanism is that a localized pH drop on the anode surface is a necessary condition to sustain pitting. The analysis of the transport processes taking place inside a pit, taking into account the hydrolysis of the metal ions, allowed the explanation of the pitting potential significance and gave a quantitative explanation of the influence of solution pH, reducible ions, inhibitors, and aggressive ion concentration on the pitting potential. In the present work, a brief description of the mechanism development and examples of the pitting and crevice systems that have confirmed its validity are presented. Potential future lines of work are also briefly suggested.