USE OF IMAGE DEPTH PROFILING SIMS FOR THE STUDY OF TINPLATE CORROSION

Four tinplate specimens with different corrosion properties were studi ed using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) image analysis. The co ntinuity of the structure of the interfacial iron-tin alloy was able t o be examined using a volume rendition computer program, which generat es a three-dimensional representation of the stack of ion images. The surface coverage of tinplate was found to vary widely on some specimen s; those exhibiting poor corrosion characteristics were found to have little or no elemental tin covering the raised regions between the rol ling grooves