Electrochemical characterization of the passive films formed on niobium surfaces in H2SO4 solutions

Abstract

The electrochemical formation and characteristics of passive films on niobium surfaces in aqueous H2SO4 solutions were studied using open circuit potential and cyclic voltammetry. In the potential region between -1.0 and 1.2 V(NHE), the cyclic voltammetry data showed that the active/passive transition involves slow metal dissolution followed by the formation of semiconducting passive oxide films. The possible electrochemical reactions and the change of the oxidation steps of some niobium oxides occurring in the passive film during the polarization are proposed. A strong influence of the natural air-formed oxide film on the chemical composition of the passive film was shown. This influence makes chemical structure of thin passive films more complicated than that of thick anodic films. It is shown that the passive films consists of more or less stable oxides, such as NbO, NbO2 and Nb2O5. The Raman spectra revealed that the thin passive films were amorphous, while the films formed at higher voltages consist, primarily, of well-crystallized Nb2O5.

Keywords

• niobium
• passive films
• open circuit potential
• cyclic voltammetry
• raman spectroscopy