Experiment-1

Aim of the Experiment:-

Pourbaix Diagram
To plot the e-pH diagram of stainless steel

Theory:
Pourbaix diagram, also known as a potential/pH
diagram, EH-pH diagram or a pE/pH diagram, maps out
possible stable (equilibrium) phases of an aqueous
electrochemical system. Predominant ion boundaries are
represented by lines. As such a Pourbaix diagram can be read
much like a standard phase diagram with a different set of
axes. Similarly to phase diagrams, they do not allow
for reaction rate or kinetic effects.
Under certain conditions, when a metal or alloy is exposed to
an aqueous
solution with a concentration of inorganic/organic mixture,
corrosion
phenomena occur at a corresponding degree. During corrosion,
some
metallic phases dissolve, the metal or alloy surface gets
damaged and some
secondary solid phases form at the solid-liquid interfaces (such
as oxides,
hydroxides, silicates, sulphides, sulphates, carbonates, nitrates,
phosphates,
borates, or halides). Such corrosive chemical or electrochemical
reactions
can be studied by means of the so-called Pourbaix diagrams if
the reactions
reach their equllibrium states.
The speciation and partition in the aqueous solution and the
interacting
phases depend not only on pH and Eh, but also on other factors
such as the

bulk composition, temperature and pressure in the system. The

interacting
phases may be gas mixtures, stoichiometric solids or solid
solutions.
A Pourbaix diagram is divided in regions of immunity,
corrosion and
passivity. These regions provides information about the
stability of a
particular metal or alloy in a specific aqueous electrochemical
environment
under certain pH, Eh, pressure and temperature conditions .

Fig. 1 .E-pH diagram of stainless steel

Procedure:-

- APPARATUS-pH meter,beaker,saturated calomel

electrode,multimeter.
- CHEMICALS USED-NaOH solution,HCl solution

1.The metal surface in contact with the working solution of

sodium hydroxide is polished.
2.The pH is noted for each step wise addition of sodium
hydroxide by using ph meter.Here graphite is used as counter
electrode and standard calomel electrode as reference
electrode.
3.At each step the corresponding voltage is noted from the
multimeter.

Observations:pH
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
2
2.1
2.2
2.7
3.5
3.9
4.2
4.7
5.7
6
6
6
6.3
6.3
6.8
7
7.3
7.3
7.9
8.1

8.5
8.7
8.9
9.1
9.5
9.8
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.7
10.8
10.9
11

E vs pH
-500
-520
-540
-560

E(mV)

-580
-600
-620
-640
0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

pH

Results:Based on the readings obtained from the multimeter,we plot

the E-pH diagram.

Precautions:

1.Mutlimeter readings should be taken using an approximate

mean of the readings since fluctuations occur often.
2. When testing for acidic region of the pH scale,fresh solution
should be used and acid added.