The electrochemical behaviour of aluminium recovered by a film of liquid gallium and gallium-aluminium amalgams in chloride and acetic acid solutions and in distilled water has been investigated using electrochemical and surface analytical techniques. The development of a very reactive interface is described. It is proposed that, besides gallium losses, the deposition of corrosion products on the electrode surface also contributes to passivation. The influence of electrode configuration and electrolyte composition on the development of the active interface as well as on its posterior deactivation is discussed. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.