Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
ABSTRACT
This review attempts to present the current understanding of the mechanism of pitting corrosion of heat treatable
aluminium alloys and their welds. The role of alloying elements and intermetallic phases on the corrosion
behavior of these alloys has been discussed. Pitting mechanism of aluminium- copper alloys is specifically
discussed. Finally effect of welding on the pitting corrosion of these alloys is also presented.
1. INTRODUCTION
Heat treatable aluminum alloys are widely used in
aircraft structural applications and are susceptible to
localized corrosion in chloride environments, such as
pitting, crevice corrosion, intergranular corrosion,
exfoliation corrosion and stress corrosion cracking.
This article reviews the some aspects of passivity and
pitting of Al alloys. Specifically, metastable and
stable pits, pitting mechanism, effect of intermetallics
and effect of welding parameters on pitting corrosion
of age hardenable Al-alloys.
2. PITTING
ALLOYS
CORROSION
OF
Al
Fig. 1
594
Fig. 2
595
Fig. 3
596
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
597
(a)
Fig. 6
(b)
(c)
(d)
Fig. 7
598
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
599
600
601
Fig.11
: (a) Optical picture and (b) Schematic representing Cu enrichment redistribution during localized corrosion in
AA2024-T3
E Cu = E Cu
63-64
2 Cu Cu
nFr
(1)
602
Table 1
Solid solution or
constituent
Cu
+007 noble
-040
-052
active
(2)
(3)
603
(4)
(5)
(6)
5. CORROSION OF WELDS
Welding is an important method of fabrication and
leads to physical, chemical and metallurgical changes
in aluminium alloys. One of the reasons for the
chemical changes in the welds is due to the different
chemical compositions of the filler materials used.
Weld thermal cycle also causes microstructural changes
in the weld metal and heat affected zone (HAZ).
These alloys after welding will be subjected to either
postweld natural aging (T-4) or post weld artificial
aging (T-6). AA6061 and AA2014 alloys are
subjected to single step aging while 7020 alloys is
subjected to two step aging. Though artificial aging
results in higher strength values compared to natural
aging, some times natural aging is preferred from
the viewpoint of toughness.
Though literature on the corrosion behaviour of
aluminium alloys is available, the same cannot be
said of their welded counterparts presumably in view
of the chemical and microstructural changes caused
by welding. The literature survey also indicated that
there were no detailed and comparative studies
available on corrosion behavior of welds of heat
treatable aluminium alloys with respect to changes in
welding and heat treatment conditions.
604
605
Fig. 14 : Effect of the heat of welding on microstructure, hardness and corrosion potential of welds of three aluminium
alloys. (a) Alloy 5456-H3 with 5356 filler (b) Alloy 2219-T87 base metal with 2319 filler (c) Alloy 7039-T6 base
metal with 5183 filler
606
607
3.
4.
5.
6. CONCLUSIONS
1.
REFERENCES
1.
2.
608
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
609
50
51
610