Dealloying evidence on corroded brass by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy mapping and depth profiling measurements

• Published in: Spectrochimica acta. Part B: Atomic spectroscopy 2017-04, Vol.130, p.1-6
• Main Authors: Cerrato, R., Casal, A., Mateo, M.P., Nicolas, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D chemical maps; Brass oxidation; Dealloying/dezincification; Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)
• ISSN: 0584-8547; 1873-3565
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sab.2016.11.006

The dealloying phenomenon, also called demetalification, is a; consequence of a corrosion problem found in binary alloys where an enrichment of one of the two main elements of the alloy is produced at the expense of the leaching of the other element. In the present work, the ability of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the detection and characterization of dealloying films formed on metal has been tested. For this purpose, specific areas of brass specimens have been subjected to a chemical attack of the surface in order to produce a selective leaching of zinc or dezincification. For the lateral and in-depth characterization of the dealloyed areas by LIBS, depth profiles, 2D and 3D maps have been generated from the treated samples and from a reference non-treated sample. The differences in the maps and depth profiles between the corroded and non-corroded regions have allowed to reveal the localization and extension of the dealloying process along the brass sample surface and to estimate the thickness of the dezincification layers, demonstrating the capability of LIBS technique for the characterization of dealloying phenomena. •3D chemical mapping on brass by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy•Thickness of oxidized films on brass•Laser ablation of corroded brass•Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy ability to detect dealloying in binary copper alloys