[NewCandle] Nick's SEM photos of his aluminum corrosion experiments

[Nick Reiter]

Ah yes, the iron, sorry I missed that query earlier...

Well, there IS a small content of iron in the control
(virgin) Al foil - I think it was like 1 at%.  It's on
the EDS plot of the control.  So when I had been
looking at like 5% or 6% or even higher in spots, I
was hard pressed to say whether it could be from a
re-distribution by chemical deposition or if there was
something more exotic happening.

The boron and potentially Ce are the two elements that
really do NOT seem to be anywhere in the control foil.
 I have not yet confirmed if there might be boron in
the NaCl, which was Morton table salt.

One other element that seemed like it was a valid peak
on the Xray spectra but which I only found in one or
two spots was yttrium.

Biggest problem is that I really can lose myself for
hours in the SEM micro-verse, and still only scratch
the surface of areas of interest to look at on a
single sample!

People who are easily amused should not run SEMs.

n

> > These photos though are from the rolled Al foil
> > in salt water hydrolysis experiments - no power
> > applied.
> 
> Yes, I know.  So, where's the iron coming from?
>


The Holy Grail 'neath ancient Roslin waits.
The blade and chalice guarding o'er Her gates. 
Adorned in the masters' loving art, She lies;
She rests at last beneath the starry skies.