Study of the effect of cerium nitrate on AA2024-T3 by means of electrochemical micro-cell technique

► We evaluate the cerium nitrate effect on the electrochemical behavior of AA2024-T3. ► We examine how AA2024-T3 microstructure affects cerium precipitation mechanism. ► The entire AA2024-T3 surface is involved in cerium precipitation. ► Anodic and cathodic inhibitions are both provided by cerium precipitation. ► Mg-rich intermetallics are preferential sites for cerium precipitation. This work evaluates the effect of cerium nitrate as corrosion inhibitor for AA2024-T3 in the view of its introduction in sol–gel coatings able to provide self-healing ability. Since it is well established that deposition of Ce species is activated by the local pH increase, the objective of this paper is to investigate the behavior of AA2024-T3 (open circuit potential and polarization curves) in the presence of Ce species in aggressive solutions by means of a local technique, the electrochemical micro-cell. This technique enables the investigation of small areas with resolution in the micrometer range by the use of glass capillaries to define the working electrode area. The micro-cell results clearly displayed that the entire AA2024-T3 area exposed to the cerium-containing electrolyte was involved in the cerium precipitation mechanism. The heterogeneous electrochemical behavior of the microstructure is minimized by the formation of a cerium-containing layer able to protect the metal substrate.