The effect of potential scan rate on the parameters used to synthesize anodic polarization curves

The anodic polarization behaviour of pure iron in near neutral 0.1 M sodium benzoate with and without 0.007 M Cl − at different potential scan rates has been studied. The suitability of a computerized curve matching routine for systems exhibiting the typical active-passive transition and subsequent film breakdown has been demonstrated. The effect of potential scan rate on the input parameters required to generate the anodic polarization curve was established and empirical linear relationships were derived. This leads to the prediction of curves at other scan rates and good matches between the predicted and experimental curves are obtained provided the scan rate is not too far outside the initial range chosen.