ABSTRACT
The mechanism of tribocorrosion is not yet fully understood, partly due to the complexity of the chemical, electrochemical, physical, and mechanical processes involved. In addition, synergistic effects increase the complexity of the system. Mechanical and electrochemical in situ measurements are needed to obtain information about the synergistic and antagonistic mechanisms. They must be done under strictly well controlled conditions using materials that were previously well characterized (microstructure, surface roughness and chemical composition, etc). Various electrochemical methods like open-circuit potential measurements, polarization curves, and EIS measurements can provide essential information on the tribocorrosion mechanisms, as well as on the kinetics of reactions, the existence of a protective passive film, and the interactions between electrochemical reactions and friction. In this Chapter, an overview of the techniques suitable for a mechanical-electrochemical approach at the macroscale and microscale are presented. The capabilities and present limitations of the electrochemical techniques for studying tribocorrosion processes are addressed. The challenges in multi-scale and multi-disciplinary approaches are also discussed in this section.
