Dealloying is a corrosion process whereby one constituent of an alloy is preferentially removed from that alloy leaving an altered residual structure (1). The most commonly experienced form of dealloying is dezincification (2-12), the loss of zinc from brasses. However, other examples of dealloying are encountered. For example, loss of nickel (2,13-15), aluminum (9,16-22) or tin (23,24) from copper base alloys; loss of iron from cast iron (25); the loss of nickel from alloy steels (26) and the loss of cobalt from Stellite (27). Despite the fact that the phenomenon has been recognized for more than 100 years, and many research teams have worked on the problem, there still is no general agreement as to the detailed mechanisms involved. Some researchers believe that the entire alloy is dissolved and that one of its constituents then is replated from solution (23,27-40). Others believe that one species is selectively leached from the alloy leaving a porous residue of the more noble species (15,41-47). Still others believe that both of these mechanisms take place (16,48-54).

Subject
Ions, Pourbaix diagrams, Chloride solutions, Copper alloys, Metals, Copper, Deposit corrosion, Zinc, Brass, Alloys, Dealloying, Electrochemical potential, Electrode potential
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1972
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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