Coupled multielectrode arrays sensors (CMAS) have been used for real-time monitoring
of corrosion, particularly localized corrosion. The internal anodic current on the most anodic
electrode in a CMAS was evaluated for aluminum and carbon steel in simulated seawater and
dilute HCl solutions. The Tafel extrapolation method was used to derive the internal currents
on the most anodic electrode and the average corrosion current. In the simulated seawater,
aluminum corroded dominantly in the form of localized corrosion and carbon steel corroded
dominantly in the form of nonuniform general corrosion. In these cases, the externally
measured nonuniform corrosion current on the most anodic electrode from the CMAS probe
accounted for more than 90% of the total corrosion current. In the dilute HCl solution, both
aluminum and carbon steel corroded dominantly in the form of uniform corrosion and the
externally measured localized corrosion current on the most anodic electrode from the CMAS
probe accounted for less than 56% of the total corrosion current.
It was concluded that if the externally measured nonuniform corrosion current from a
CMAS probe is larger than the Tafel extrapolated currents, non-uniform corrosion is dominant
and the effect of the internal current is not significant. In this case the CMAS probe reasonably
measures the corrosion currents. However, if the externally measured nonuniform corrosion
current from a CMAS probe is less than the Tafel extrapolated currents, uniform corrosion is
dominant and the effect of the internal current may be significant. In this case, the CMAS
probe only measures the nonuniform portion of the corrosion currents (which is not significant).
Keywords: Multielectrode sensor, corrosion monitoring, corrosion sensor, localized corrosion
sensor, multielectrode array, nonuniform corrosion, coupled multielectrode.