Eric John Schindelholz

The controlling role of sodium and carbonate on the atmospheric corrosion rate of aluminum

Aluminum and aluminum alloys are widely used in many outdoor applications due to their inherent corrosion resistance attributed to the formation of a protective oxide layer. While corrosion rates are generally considered low for aluminum in many atmospheric environments, understanding of the corrosion performance over time is necessary to predict the cost, safety, and esthetics of these materials. The vast majority of the knowledgebase of atmospheric aluminum corrosion is built on environment–response relationships; often based on statistical correlation of corrosion rate data with atmospheric environmental conditions. However, there is still a limited mechanistic understanding of corrosion processes associated with this linkage. This lack in knowledge prevents interpretation and limits the extrapolation of these statistical datasets for prediction purposes. Here, the mechanistic dependence of aluminum corrosion rate on salt loading is explored through complimentary experimental and theoretical analysis relating corrosion rate to electrolyte chemistry, volume and corrosion products. From these results a reaction pathway is proposed for the atmospheric corrosion of aluminum that accounts for the governing effects of CO2 and salt loading on corrosion rate. This reaction pathway provides a new perspective that highlights the importance of the formation and growth of dawsonite (NaAlCO3(OH)2), and the subsequent gettering of sodium from the electrolyte leading to the stifling of corrosion kinetics. This study highlights the importance of accounting for the dynamic physical and chemical state of the electrolyte during corrosion in process models and measurement techniques to better understand and predict atmospheric corrosion behavior.Aluminium: trapped sodium stops further degradationCorrosion of aluminium in a saline atmosphere hinges so much on carbon dioxide and sodium that it can become stifled after corrosion products build up. A team led by Eric Schindelholz at the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, USA, took time-resolved gravimetric measurements of commercial aluminium loaded with sodium chloride and characterized the corrosion product weight and volume with time. The aluminium corroded by forming sodium aluminium carbonate - dawsonite—which trapped the sodium on the surface, leading to the salt water drying. This caused a decrease and, in some cases, stifled corrosion at the aluminium surface. While dawsonite has usually been ignored in aluminium corrosion, research into lesser-known corrosion reaction pathways may help us better understand and predict atmospheric and environmental corrosion.

Extraordinary Corrosion Protection from Polymer–Clay Nanobrick Wall Thin Films

Metals across all industries demand anticorrosion surface treatments and drive a continual need for high-performing and low-cost coatings. Here we demonstrate polymer-clay nanocomposite thin films as a new class of transparent conformal barrier coatings for protection in corrosive atmospheres. Films assembled via layer-by-layer deposition, as thin as 90 nm, are shown to reduce copper corrosion rates by >1000× in an aggressive H2S atmosphere. These multilayer nanobrick wall coatings hold promise as high-performing anticorrosion treatment alternatives to costlier, more toxic, and less scalable thin films, such as graphene, hexavalent chromium, or atomic-layer-deposited metal oxides.

Characterization of fire hazards of aged photovoltaic balance-of-systems connectors

Three balance of systems (BOS) connector designs common to industry were investigated as a means of assessing reliability from the perspective of arc fault risk. These connectors were aged in field and laboratory environments and performance data captured for future development of a reliability model. Comparison of connector resistance measured during damp heat, mixed flowing gas and field exposure in a light industrial environment indicated disparities in performance across the three designs. Performance was, in part, linked to materials of construction. A procedure was developed to evaluate new and aged connectors for arc fault risk and tested for one of the designs. Those connectors exposed to mixed flowing gas corrosion exhibited considerable Joule heating that may enhance arcing behavior, suggesting temperature monitoring as a potential method for arc fault prognostics. These findings, together with further characterization of connector aging, can provide operators of photovoltaic installations the information necessary to develop a data-driven approach to BOS connector maintenance as well as opportunities for arc fault prognostics.