Electrochemical polarization measurements in 3% NaCl aqueous solutions were carried out to estimate corrosion rate and resistance to pitting corrosion of aluminum alloys. The corrosion rate quantitatively agrees with that corresponding to the cathodic current density extrapolated to corrosion potential. The resistance to pitting corrosion can be estimated from the potential difference Δ
E between pitting initiation potential
Epit and repassivation potential
Erep of anodic polarization curves. The smaller Δ
E values of the alloys, the more resistant to pitting corrosion.
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