CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF Cu-Cr ALLOY IN HUMID AIR CONTAINING TRACE SO₂

The corrosion behavior of cold rolled Cu-Cr alloy in humid air containing trace SO2 was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron (XPS).The corrosion resistance of pure copper was improved by micro-addition of Cr.The XPS results indicated that no Cr existed in the outer corrosion scales and sulfate was present as the main component of the corrosion scales when the weight of specimens in the corrosive environment became unchanged.On the other hand,the increasing of corrosion resistance of Cu-Cr alloy was much dependent on the compact corrosion scales which could protect the base material from corrosion.