Copper's Corrosion Conundrum: Scientists Unveil Mechanism Behind Chloride-induced Depassivation

Strategic Insights -

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have made a breakthrough in understanding the atomic-scale processes behind copper's corrosion in marine environments. According to their study, chloride ions play a pivotal role in breaking down the protective layer on copper surfaces, leading to corrosion. The team employed advanced computational techniques to simulate the interactions between chloride ions and the copper oxide layer, revealing a new mechanism behind this process.

Key Takeaways:

  • Copper's protective layer, composed of Cu2O, is vulnerable to attack by chloride ions in marine environments.
  • Chloride ions undergo extensive chemisorption on the Cu2O (111) surface, reducing the energy barrier for lattice copper dissolution.
  • The formation rate of surface Cu+ vacancies far exceeds their longitudinal diffusion rate into the bulk, suggesting that the local thinning mechanism is responsible for copper's corrosion.
  • The study provides a critical theoretical basis for designing corrosion-resistant Cu-based alloys used in marine environments.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Physics Research.

Statistics:

  • The study reveals that chloride ions play a significant role in breaking down the protective layer on copper surfaces, with a marked reduction in the energy barrier for lattice copper dissolution.
  • The formation rate of surface Cu+ vacancies is approximately 100 times faster than their longitudinal diffusion rate into the bulk.
  • The study's findings have important implications for the development of corrosion-resistant Cu-based alloys used in marine environments, with potential applications in industries such as shipping and offshore oil and gas production.

Sources:

  • Atomistic Insights Into Chloride-induced Depassivation Mechanisms of Protective Cu2o Films In Marine Environments. Corrosion Science, 2025;256.
  • Journal of Physics Research, November 4, 2025; p 2928.
  • Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England.
  • Corrosion Science can be contacted at: Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd.
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Zhejiang Key Lab Adv Fuel Cells & Electrolyzers Te, Ningbo 315201, People's Republic of China.