Twenty-year inhibition of corrosion by the pertechnetate ion

Twenty years have elapsed since the discovery of the effectiveness of the pertechnetate ion in inhibiting the corrosion of iron and steel. In the meantime, numerous studies bearing on the mechanism of the action have been made. The results of certain of these studies are now applied to an interpretation of the behavior of a test specimen of carbon steel which remains unchanged after being exposed for twenty years in 5 × 10−4 fKTcO4 containing 10 ppm of chloride ion at pH ~6,and with access of air.