Effect of the combination of organic acid solutions on tinplate corrosion

Abstract

Tinplate corrosion as a result of canned food is typically tested in industry by tinplate in synthetic media based on single organic acids. However, the combination of organic acids, which is present in applied conditions, is not previously investigated in terms of its effect on tinplate corrosion mechanism. In this manuscript, we combine structural characterization of tinplate surfaces with electrochemical measurements, to investigate the corrosion mechanism of tinplate under acetic acid-NaCl, citric acid-NaCl, and a combined acetic acid, citric acid and NaCl media. The results show that the combined acid media causes does not result in a pronounced formation of a protective passivation layer, in contrast to the single acid based media. Our findings demonstrate the combined effects of the organic acids in corrosive media has to be taken into account for tinplate corrosion, as they can alter the corrosion mechanism. Furthermore, we show that combination of organic acids can accelerate tinplate corrosion testing in packaging industry. Thus, our findings can contribute to the design of new aging media for tinplate corrosion testing.