In this work, the aluminum-water reaction induced by Fe-B, Co-B and Ni-B particles was studied. The catalysts were mixtures of the metal boride and metallic particles. The chainlike Fe-B catalyst forms a network structure under the influence of an external magnetic field and has a large specific surface area. Aggregated particles of Co-B and Ni-B catalyst have small specific surface area. Catalytic activity in the initial corrosion of aluminum increases with increasing Fe-B content because of the large specific surface area and the formation of a micro galvanic cell. However, the amount of hydrogen generated slowly decreases with increasing amount of Co-B and Ni-B. The activity of Fe-B, Co-B and Ni-B in the initial Al/H2O reaction decreases in the order Fe-B > Ni-B > Co-B. The calculated apparent activation energies in the presence of Fe-B, Co-B and Ni catalysts are 38.2, 39 and 29.6 kJ mol(-1), respectively. Aluminum is rapidly and completely corroded in a weakly alkaline solution (pH < 10) after consecutive additions of Al batches because of high concentrations of OH- in the local domain and an increase in the amount of Al(OH)(3) precipitate. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.