Abstract
Current fluctuations of a stainless steel under anodic polarization in sodium chloride solutions were measured and analyzed statistically. The frequencies of the fluctuations were decreased with time after the polarization and the probability of the fluctuation was predicted by an exponential function which suggested that all the events were independent of each other. The rate of pit embryos formation decreased with increasing polarization potential. The rate of passivation (death probability of embryos), the mean life time and the peak current of the fluctuations did not clearly depend upon the polarization potential and the concentration of chloride.
