The influence of different dissolution techniques (electropolishing or chemical polishing and electrochemical machining (ECM)) on the topography of grains and grain boundaries of polycrystalline iron was analyzed by a combination of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and contact-mode AFM. For electrochemical dissolution at large current densities, small electrode areas were addressed by a capillary microcell to specify the influence of grain orientation on the anodic behaviour, especially the dissolution in sodium nitrate solutions.(c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.