Corrosion and Mass Transfer With Chemical Reaction–The Dissolution of Magnesium in Hydrochloric Acid

The purpose of this paper is to review the theory of mass transfer, with and without chemical reaction, and to show how it can be applied in the prediction of uniform corrosion rates. As an example, experimental data reported for the rate of dissolution of magnesium cylinders in hydrochloric acid solutions were analyzed. A mechanism for the reactions and the transport of ions to or from the metal surface was suggested, and the model was used in the prediction of data with considerable success. Application of this method in other corrosion systems is presently under investigation, in an effort to broaden its usefulness and to determine its limitations.