Comparing the corrosion behaviour of AA2050 and AA7050 aluminium alloys by scanning vibrating electrode and scanning ion-selective electrode techniques

Abstract

The susceptibility to localised corrosion of the high strength alloys, AA2050-T84 and AA7050-T7451, used in the aerospace industry, was investigated in this study by localised electrochemical techniques, specifically, scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) and scanning ion-selective electrode technique (SIET), in 0.005 mol L−1 NaCl solution. The study was initially carried out using both alloys individually and then, coupling the two alloys and evaluating the effect of galvanic coupling between them. The results revealed that the AA2050-T84, being nobler than the AA7050-T7451, presented higher corrosion current density values when tested in isolation and the depth of corrosion penetration was significantly deeper in the AA2050-T84 alloy than in the AA7050-T7451. However, galvanic coupling of the two alloys resulted in cathodic protection of the AA2050-T84 alloy and a reduction in corrosion current densities on both alloys.