Effect of cerium addition to a hydrothermal treatment on the corrosion protection of the tartaric-sulfuric acid anodized AA2524-T3

Abstract

To protect Al alloys from corrosion, standard procedures in the aerospace industry use chromium-based acid anodizing with subsequent post-treatment steps also containing hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) ions. However, environmental and health related concerns associated with Cr(VI) have encouraged the search for new surface treatments providing effective corrosion protection without the drawback of generating toxic residues. In this investigation, a hydrothermal treatment in aqueous solution with cerium ions is proposed as a post-treatment for tartaric-sulfuric acid (TSA) anodizing, and its effects on the AA2524-T3 alloy corrosion resistance investigated. The effect of Ce on the characteristics of the surface film formed, such as morphology and corrosion resistance, is investigated by scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that the hydrothermal treatment in solution containing Ce(III) ions presents a less stable behavior than the treatment in boiling water. However, the results of the EIS experiments show recovery of the protective properties of the system, indicating that some self-healing properties must be imparted to the system.