Phase field modeling of corrosion damage

Abstract A phase field (PF) based electrochemical model is presented for simulation of galvanic corrosion. Distributions of electrolyte potential and current density on anode and cathode surfaces are obtained by coupling the PF variable with electrochemistry. Evolution of surface recession is naturally obtained by solving the PF equations without tracking the evolving boundary. Numerical implementation involves solving the governing equations on a fixed mesh. The sharp interface as the limit of the PF model is shown by an asymptotic analysis. Two benchmark problems are discussed: a magnesium alloy–mild steel couple exposed to 5% NaCl solution and crevice corrosion for nickel in 1 N sulfuric acid. A comparison is made considering available experimental data as well as other simulation data by an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method. Good agreement is obtained.