In-situ optical detection of the passive oxide films on iron and titanium was reviewed. The optical techniques such as ellipsometry (i.e., reflection of polarized light), Raman spectroscopy, and potential modulation reflectance (PMR) have been successfully applied to the detection in thickness, composition, and semiconducting property, respectively, of the thin passive oxides under the in-situ condition. The growth mechanism of the passive oxide has been discussed from the precise measurement of thickness as a function of potential and time by a threeparameter ellipsometry. From the in-situ Raman spectra, the composition of the passive oxide has been estimated to be Fe 3 O 4 -γ-Fe 2 O 3 for iron and anatase TiO 2 for titanium. From PMR, the Mott-Schottky type plot could be drawn in the passive oxide on iron, which indicates that the formation of the space charge layer can be optically seen. From the PMR spectra, one has evaluated light-absorption edge that may correspond to a band-gap energy between the valence and conduction band.© The Electrochemical Society of Japan, All rights reserved.Keywords : Passive Oxide Film, Ellipsometry, Raman Spectroscopy, Ellipso-microscopy
Corrosion Protection and Passivation of MetalsMetallic materials are widely used for construction of infrastructure such as bridge, building, industrial plant etc. and transport machine such as automobile, ship, train, airplane etc. For using the metallic materials for a long period of time, suitable protection against corrosion has been required. When the structures are used in atmospheric environment that includes 21% oxygen and small amount of water vapor, they suffers considerable damage because of corrosion induced by the oxygen and water vapor. The water vapor adsorbs on the metal surface with contaminant such as dust, fine particle, and air-borne salt to provide liquid water layer. The water layer in which various compounds dissolve acts on the metal surface as an electrochemical reaction site in which corrosion reactions occur; an anodic oxidation reaction of the metal is coupled with a cathodic reduction reaction of oxygen dissolving into the water layer.The structures are also often used in sea, lake, marsh, and moist soil.Since the interface at metal surface/surrounding water also acts as a reaction site, the corrosion of the structures takes place similarly as in the atmospheric environment. Since the metallic corrosion continues to develop in the atmospheric condition on the earth, we must introduce corrosionprotection treatment to maintain the structure for a long period. We have applied several techniques to the corrosion protection.(i) Cathodic protection: The potential of the structural metal is shifted to the negative direction to lower the corrosion rate. (ii) Anodic protection or passivation: The potential of the metals is shifted to the positive direction in the passive potential region in which the corrosion rate is negligibly small. (iii) Inhibition of contact to the surrounding environment: The cover of paint o...