ABSTRACT
The subject of metal oxide dissolution is important in many areas of basic research and application. Each of these areas focuses the attention on rather different, specific aspects of the dissolution phenomenon, and specialized jargons have therefore evolved to describe processes that involve transfer of matter from the solid to solution. Massive dissolution, etching, pitting, and leaching are studied on samples of different properties and through the use of widely diverse experimental techniques. Since a variety of characteristics are found in the various systems of interest, it is not possible to make a comprehensive list of experimental techniques. This chapter describes the main problems involved in the studies of the most common materials and indicates some possible adequate experimental techniques to address them. The metal oxide of interest may be any of a rather long list of different materials: single crystals, powders, minerals, ceramic materials, or films grown or deposited on various substrates.
