Discretization model of general corrosion

An analogy between the formalism of a probabilistic approach to localized corrosion of stainless steels and the formalism of the classical approach to general corrosion of metals is highlighted. This formal analogy is justified experimentally through the study of the roughness evolution of stainless steels, iron, and zinc, corroded in sulfuric acid (H2SO4). A discretization model of general corrosion, based on a stochastic distribution of localized active areas on the surface, is proposed. Based on this model, a computer simulation is carried out to analyze roughness evolution and the role played by the active areas. Observations on the dissolution mechanism of a zinc monocrystalline sample according to the model also are reported.