Spatially Resolved Assessment and Analysis of Al-Zn, Mg, and Mg/Al-Zn Metal-Rich Primers Applied to AA 7075-T651 in Full Immersion

Abstract

The scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) was utilized to monitor localized corrosion and substrate protection of three metal-rich primers (MRP). The ability to suppress localized corrosion and provide widespread cathodic polarization to enable sacrificial anode-based cathodic protection of a AA 7075-T651 substrate with either an aluminum-rich primer (AlRP), magnesium-rich primer (MgRP), or a composite magnesium + aluminum-rich primer (MgAlRP) in a polyamide-based epoxy primer coatings fully immersed in 1 mM NaCl was investigated. Pigments did not activate uniformly in each MRP. The notion of throwing power polarizing the bare substrate and uniform current and potential distributions at scratch sites does not describe the behavior observed. In cases where activation occurred, protection was noticed in the form of suppression of local anodes on bare AA 7075-T651. Local corrosion was suppressed on heterogeneously corroding AA 7075-T651 with strong local anodes and cathodes. Widespread cathodic polarization was absent. The MgRP and MgAlRP were shown to provide superior local corrosion suppression associated with pitting on AA 7075-T651 compared to the AlRP.