Scanning Electrochemical Workstation

本申请中要求的扫描电化学工作站是反映最新技术进步的新一代电化学系统。该系统的主要突破是使用扫描隧道显微镜自动辅助探针接近，而不是通过肉眼调节针尖与表面之间的距离。这提供了扫描探头的高精度定位，从而提供了更高的空间分辨率和更好的再现性，这是市场上所有其他扫描电极所不能提供的。所要求的扫描电化学工作站的另一个新功能是能够在金属/溶液界面绘制Cl-和pH图像。 为了研究局部腐蚀的发生和扩展，需要清楚地了解金属/溶液界面处的微观化学环境，即，电位/电流、Cl-和pH的局部分布对于发现和理解通常先于主要结构失效的局部击穿和再钝化机制至关重要。目前，由于缺乏所要求的设备，正在进行的研究受到危害，因为任何不准确或不准确的数据都可能导致错误的结论。所要求的设备将在当前和未来的研究项目中找到其直接和广泛的用途，包括研究蒸汽发生器管道材料在腐蚀性溶液中的局部腐蚀机理，低合金钢在酸性环境中的硫化物应力开裂以及固体颗粒撞击引起的局部腐蚀等。这些设备也将大量用于培养高质量的研究生和PDF，这是加拿大高等教育机构的主要目标之一。高质量的论文和研究论文将保持加拿大大学在研究领域的领先地位，同时为腐蚀控制和保护的实际工业应用铺平道路。

The scanning electrochemical workstation requested in this application is a new generation of electrochemical system that reflects the latest technology advances. The major breakthrough of this new system is to use Scanning Tunnel Microscope to automatically assist the probe approaching rather than adjusting the distance between the tip and surface by naked eyes. This offers highly precise positioning of the scanning probe and as a result, a much higher spatial resolution and improved reproducibility, which all other scanning electrodes in the market do not offer. Another new function of the requested scanning electrochemical workstation is capable of mapping Cl- and pH images at metal/solution interface. To study the initiation and propagation of localized corrosion, a clear picture of the micro chemical environment at the metal/solution interface, i.e., the local distribution of potential/current, Cl- and pH is crucial to discover and understand the mechanism of local breakdown and repassivation which usually precede the major structure failure. Currently, the on-going research is jeopardized due to the lack of the requested equipment because any inaccurate or less accurate data could possibly lead to faulty conclusions. The requested equipment will find its immediate and extensive uses in current and future research projects including investigation of mechanism of localized corrosion of steam generator tubing materials in aggressive solutions, sulfide stress cracking of low alloy steel in sour environment and localized corrosion caused by the impingement of solid particles and many others. This equipment will also be heavily used in training high quality graduate students and PDFs, which is one of main goals of higher educational institutions in Canada. The high quality of thesis and research papers aided by this state of art equipment will keep Canadian university at the leading edge position of research field and at the same time, pave the way to actual industrial applications of corrosion control and protection.