Cover Picture: Materials and Corrosion. 7/2023

Cover: Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) are binders which can complement and partially substitute conventional cements. However, the present knowledge about how AAMs protect steel reinforcement in concrete elements, and about the significance of the outcomes of electrochemical analytical methods to study this subject, is incomplete. A review by EFC-WP11 demonstrates that differences exist in this regard between AAMs and Portland cements, and between types of AAMs, mainly caused by differing pore solution compositions. These differences can lead to distinct anodic polarisation curves, low open circuit potentials, and low polarisation resistances for certain AAMs, which might be incorrectly interpreted as indicating active corrosion of the steel reinforcement. More detailed information can be found in: Shishir Mundra, Gabriel Samson, Giulia Masi, Rebecca Achenbach, David M. Bastidas, Susan A. Bernal, Maria C. Bignozzi, Maria Criado, Martin Cyr, Nina Gartner, Stefanie von Greve-Dierfeld, AndraAndraž Legat, Ali Nikoonasab, John L. Provis, Michael Raupach, Gregor J. G. Gluth, Application of electrochemical methods for studying steel corrosion in alkali-activated materials, Materials and Corrosion 2023, 74, 988.