Neutron reflectometry studies of aluminum-saline water interface under hydrostatic pressure

The structural stability of Al layers in contact with 3.5 wt.% NaCl water solution was investigated at a temperature of 25 degrees C and hydrostatic pressures from 1 to 600 atm using neutron reflectometry. A pressure-temperature (P-T) Neutron Reflectometry (NR) cell developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was used to understand the behavior of thin (similar to 900 angstrom) aluminum layers in contact with saline liquid. Experimental results suggest that in the preliminary stages of corrosion the influence of pressure accelerates the mechanism of interactions of the oxide film with Cl- and H2O with lower speed compared to results found in the literature. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.