Patent ID: 7686938

Claim:
A method for measuring localized corrosion comprising: (a) placing a test electrode and a reference electrode in proximity with one another; (b) placing the test electrode under potentiostatic control regime for a first period of time; (c) measuring the relationship of current v. potential of the test electrode relative to the reference electrode during the first period; (d) switching from potentiostatic control to the open circuit potential (OCP) of the test electrode; (e) monitoring the OCP of the test electrode during a second period of time; (f) determining ΔI from the relationship R p =ΔV/ΔI, where R p is polarization resistance and where ΔV is measured over the second period of time, where (b)-(f) need not occur in the order given; (g) calculating the localized corrosion from the measured potential and current data; and (h) repeating (a) through (g) at least once.