The Corrosion Behaviour of Aluminum Alloy 2024 - T3 in Acidic Environments

Vasile HOTEA; Jozsef JUHASZ; Elena POP; Gheorghe IEPURE; Aurica POP

Authors

Vasile HOTEA North University of Baia Mare, Romania
Jozsef JUHASZ North University of Baia Mare, Romania
Elena POP North University of Baia Mare, Romania
Gheorghe IEPURE North University of Baia Mare, Romania
Aurica POP North University of Baia Mare, Romania

Keywords:

corrosion, aluminum alloy, corrosion rate, penetration index, pitting, sulfuric acid

Abstract

This research aimed at analysing the acidic corrosion behavior of aluminum alloy 2024-T3 commonly used in the aerospace. We study the variation of corrosion rate with immersion time at different values of H₂SO₄ concentration and corrosion rate variation depending on the concentration of the solution setting the group of corrosion of the alloy. Aluminum forms initially a few-nm-thick layer of aluminum oxide, γ-Al, which after prolonged exposure in humidified air is covered by aluminum oxyhydroxide, γ-AlOOH, and subsequently by various hydrated aluminum oxides and aluminum hydroxides. The exposed metal surfaces involved aspects of the corrosion process in 0.1M H₂SO₄, 0.01M H₂SO₄ and 0.001M H₂SO₄ solutions, to determine the type of corrosion and propagation mechanism in acidic environments.