Daniel D Pope

US Patent:

62940740, Sep 25, 2001

Filed:

May 18, 2000

Appl. No.:

9/573575

Inventors:

YuPo J. Lin - Westmont IL
Edward J. St. Martin - Libertyville IL
James R. Frank - Glen Ellyn IL
Daniel H. Pope - Bayfield CO

Assignee:

The University of Chicago - Chicago IL

International Classification:

G01N 2726

US Classification:

2057755

Abstract:

An electrode design is provided for corrosion monitoring using electrochemical noise measurements. Electrochemical probes are used for sensing electrochemical noise voltage values and electrochemical noise current values. The electrochemical probes include a pair of working electrodes formed of the same material of the monitored metal pipes or storage vessels and a reference electrode formed of a corrosion resistant material. Each of the pair of working electrodes has a defined surface roughness. One of the pair of working electrodes has reduced roughness, whereby sensitivity to sustained localized pitting corrosion is increased in the working electrode with reduced roughness. By reducing the surface roughness of one of the pair of working electrodes, increased sensitivity to sustained localized pitting corrosion is provided while the current noise can be used to accurately measure the general corrosion rate on the unpolished electrode.