Quantification of subsurface hydrogen in corroding mild steel using Scanning Kelvin Probe calibrated by electrochemical permeation technique

Scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) can be applied for mapping of subsurface hydrogen in steels. The good spatial resolution is combined with poor quantification. Controversy, the electrochemical permeation technique (EPT) is extremely sensitive to hydrogen flux but has low spatial resolution. Thus, a local hydrogen quantification method using SKP measurements calibrated by EPT was developed. The fixed amount of hydrogen flux in mild steel membrane was obtained by cathodic polarization and was detected using the two methods. A semi-logarithmic relationship between SKP potential drop and the hydrogen sub-surface concentration underneath of the corroding surface was established. SKP quantification was applied for mapping the subsurface hydrogen in steel corroding under various atmospheric corrosion conditions.