Effect of pH and Concentration on Electrochemical Corrosion Behavior of Aluminum Al-7075 T6 Alloy in NaCl Aqueous Environment

In the present study, the corrosion behavior of aluminum Al-7075 tempered (T-6 condition) alloy was evaluated by immersion testing and electrochemical testing in 1.75% and 3.5% NaCl environment at acidic, neutral and basic pH. The data obtained by both immersion tests and electrochemical corrosion tests (potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests) present that the corrosion rate of the alloy specimens is minimum for the pH=7 condition of the solution due to the formation of dense and well adherent thin protective oxide layer. Whereas the solutions with acidic and alkaline pH cause shift in the corrosion behavior of aluminum alloy to more active domains aggravated by the constant flux of acidic and alkaline ions (Cland OH-) in the media which anodically dissolve the Al matrix in comparison to precipitated intermetallic phases (cathodic in nature) formed due to T6 treatment. Consequently, the pitting behavior of the alloy, as observed by cyclic polarization tests, shifts to more active regions when pH of the solutions changes from neutral to alkaline environment due to localized dissolution of the matrix in alkaline environment that ingress by diffusion through the pores in the oxide film. Microscopic analysis also strengthens the results obtained by immersion corrosion testing and electrochemical corrosion testing as the study examines the corrosion behavior of this alloy under a systematic evaluation in marine environment.