Qualitative and quantitative characterization of aluminium alloys after corrosion testing

The 2024 and 7050 aluminium alloys used as aircraft components were subjected to laboratory corrosion tests in sodium chloride solution, Light-microscope examinations make it possible to characterise morphological aspects of the localised corrosion. Image analysis was used to determine both depth and width of pits over corroded surfaces. It has been concluded that the annealing could reduce the pit growth in both alloys, by means of grains recrystallization or recovery. The 2024 alloy also tends to present an exfoliation mechanism, mainly throughout non-recrystallized and recrystallized grain boundaries, increasing the width and sustaining the depth of pit cavities during exposition to saline atmosphere. SEM and EDS analysis reveal the morphology and elemental distribution of the corrosion products formed after immersion corrosion test. Some of these products were identified by X-ray diffraction analysis. For 2024, Al(OH)(3), MS(OH)(2) and Cu2O were found. AI(OH)(3) and Cu2O were also found in 7050 samples.

A metallurgical study of aluminium alloys used as aircraft components

The effects of heat treatment on morphologies and microstructures of Al 2024 and Al 7050 alloys, used as aircraft components, were studied by metallographic techniques. Light microscopy (LM) and quantitative image analysis were used to characterize the precipitate dispersion and morphology for these alloys. The application of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) combined techniques for studying these multiphase systems makes it possible to distinguish and quantify the different phases in the surface structure. Xray diffraction also permitted a qualitative comparison of the structures before and after heat treatments.

SVET, SKP and EIS study of the corrosion behaviour of high strength Al and Al-Li alloys used in aircraft fabrication

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Evaluation of strip rolling directly from the semi-solid state

defect metal alloy strip when thixorolling directly from the semi-solid state. To facilitate the study lead/tin alloys were chosen for their relatively low operating temperature. The objective is to extrapolate these findings to the higher temperature aluminium, alloys. Three alloys (70%Pb30%Sn, 60%Pb-40%Sn, 50%Pb-50%wtSn) were used particularly to study the influence of the solidification interval. The equipment consists of a two roll mill arranged as an upper and lower roller, where both rollers are driven at a controlled speed. The lower roller is fed with semi solid alloy through a ceramic nozzle attached to the lower end of a cooling slope. Several types of nozzle and their position at the roller were tested. This produced different solidifications and consequently different finished strip. The alloys were first cast and then poured onto the cooling slope through a tundish in order to create a continuous laminar flow of slurry and uniformity of metal strip quality. The pouring was tested at different positions along the slope. The cooling slope was coated with colloidal graphite to promote a smooth slurry flow and avoid the problem of adherence and premature solidification. The metallic slurry not only cools along the slope but is also initially super-cooled to a mush by the lower roller whilst at room temperatures, thus enabling thixorolling. It was also found that the nozzle position could be adjusted to enable the upper roller to also contribute to the solidification of the metallic slurry. However the rollers and the cooling slope naturally heat up. Temperature distribution in these zones was analysed by means of three thermocouples positioned along the cooling slope and a fourth in the base of the semi solid pool within the nozzle. The objective being to design an optimum pouring and cooling system. The formed strip was cooled down to room temperature with a shower of water. Microstructures of the thixorolling process were analysed. The differences in solidification conditions resulted in differing qualities of finished strip and corresponding defect types, all of which are a serious quality issue for the rolled product.

Efeito das técnicas de fusão sobre a fluidez de ligas do sistema cobre-alumínio.

It was evaluated the castability of four copper-aluminium alloy according the melting casting method used. The specimens were made using polyester mesh screen, with 11 x 11 filaments of 0.26 mm thick, fixed along of two adjacent edges in wax bar, with the sprue attached at their junction. The alloys were in an electrical casting machine and a centrifugal casting machine with an air/gas torch. The castability values were obtained by the percentage of completed segments of the resulting cast alloy screen. It was verified that the use of the electrical casting machine produced higher castability values to the copper-aluminium alloys than those produced by a centrifugal casting machine with an air/gas torch.

Um estudo sobre a corrosão aquosa de ligas de alumínio 7xxx submetidas a diferentes tratamentos térmicos

This job aim has been to study the aqueous corrosion of the 7xxx heattreatable aluminium alloys, used in the aeronautical industry. The 7010, 7050 and 7475 alloys, have been supplied in the T7 condition and submitted to the annealed and aging thermal treatments of in order to study their behaviours front to corrosion in 5% NaCl pH 6,0, air-saturated and deaerated solutions. The electrochemical study has been accomplished through potential measures in open circuit, potentiodynamic polarisation curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The aged alloy resulted to be the most resistant to corrosion and annealed the less resistant ones. In spite of it they have different chemical compositions, in each mean, the alloy with the same thermal treatment has behaved in a similar way. In aerated solution, the process is controlled by oxygen diffusion and in oxygen absence for dissolution through a film. Hardness and mass loss measures, after corrosion test, have supported this research.

Efeito do nitrato e nitrito na corrosão das ligas de alumínio 2024 e 7050 em soluções de NaCl

The 2024-T3 and 7050-T7 aluminium alloys electrochemical behavior has been studied in NaCl 5% neutral solutions and 0,1M concentration containing NO 3 - or NO 2 -. The current job supports corrosion research on aluminium alloys used in aeronautic industry. Open circuit potential, polarisation curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques have been used. In chloride solutions, alloys corrosion takes place through a pitting mechanism. Added anions to aerated solutions do not possess inhibition effect. In deaerated solutions, nitrite has diminished anodic dissolution rate, probably by incorporating this anion in the oxide and/or hydroxide film.

Estudo da corrosão em ligas de alumínio utilizadas na indústria aeronáutica

A resistência e o mecanismo de corrosão das ligas de alumínio 2024, 7010, 7050 e 7475 foram estudados em solução de NaCl. Os efeitos do tratamento térmico nas ligas, concentração de oxigênio, pH, adição de oxi-ânions e temperatura do meio constituem algumas das variáveis estudadas. Primeiramente, procedeu-se à caracterização físicoquímica dos materiais através de análise química e metalográfica, mediante microscopia eletrônica de varredura e espectroscopia de energia dispersiva. As ligas 2024, 7010, 7050 e 7475 como recebidas, recozidas e envelhecidas, revelaram a existência de partículas ternárias e quaternárias, constituídas por Al:Cu:Fe e Mg ou Zn. Também foi observado um maior número de partículas pequenas de composição variável situando-se, preferencialmente, nos contornos dos grãos. Os resultados dos ensaios de corrosão em meios aerados e desaerados indicam que o cromato é efetivo como inibidor da corrosão localizada em ambas ligas e que o molibdato somente na liga 7050. O efeito inibidor do tungstato se revela em meio desaerado e é comparativamente menor daquele observado com os outros oxi-ânions. As análises quantitativas de superfície das ligas após os ensaios de imersão indicam que ainda na presença de inibidor, se pites foram nucleados, eles crescem.

Estudo da usinagem por torneamento de ligas de alumínio

The non-ferrous materials have got so many mechanical, physical and chemical advantageous properties so that is provided to them consolidated position in industry. In this context, aluminium alloys have been seen a lot on many applications of engineering areas – specially on automotive, aeronautical and aerospace due to their main properties such as low density, high corrosion resistance, favorable structure weight / material resistance relation, among others characteristics that are mencioned through this study. This study aims to analyze the aluminium alloys behavior on a general context when they are used on turning process, taking for examples the 6262 and 7050 aluminium alloys. In this way, the analysis studies the datas obtained during the turning tests realized on 3 steps each one; those datas are concerning the medium and total rugosities – obtained with the assistance of a portable Surface Roughness Finish Tester, as well as the chips obtained during the tests - visual analysis, and the cutting tools wear – with the assistance of an optical microscope, under different conditions of application of cutting fluids (dry machining, application of coolant in abundance and MQL – Minimum Quantity of Lubricant). The results concerning this study show detailed information about influence of cutting fluids on the machining by turning of the aluminium alloys related on this work and also about aluminium alloys in general when they are used on turning processes with different conditions from one another. By this way, it was evident the MQL technique is the best one for the 6262 alloy. However, for 7050 alloy, it was evident that the dry machining is responsible for the best results

Analise comparativa do desempenho de ferramentas no torneamento do aluminio 2024

The aluminium alloys are used in many fields because of their versatility combined with the excellent aluminium’s properties, mentioned in the study. This study aims to compare the performance of polished Hard Metal, Hard Metal covered with TiB2 and High Speed Steel (HSS) tools, at the aluminium 2024 alloy’s turning, as a function of variation of some turning parameters such as: feed, depth of cut and cutting speed; and study the surface finish and the required power during turning by processing the output data, like analyze the chip’s features for each used tool. The results provide information of the tool’s material effects, when submitted to different turning conditions, about the output variable in question. In this way, it was possible to notice that although the Hard Metal covered with TiB2 tool has provided the better surface finish, the chip’s features were better when the turning was accomplished by the Polished Hard Metal tool. In relation to the required turning’s power, the lowest consumption occurred with the High Speed Steel tool

Influência de tratamentos a plasma na resistência à corrosão e na propriedade de adesão de uma camada protetiva sobre a superfície de ligas de alumínio

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Electrochemical studies of copper, copper-aluminium and copper-aluminium-silver alloys: Impedance results in 0.5M NaCl

The electrochemical behaviour of Cu, Cu-Al and Cu-Al-Ag alloys in aqueous solutions of NaCl (0.5 M, pH = 3.00) was studied by means of voltammetric methods and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The surfaces were examined by SEM and EDX analysis. Cu-Al-Ag alloy shows a potentiodynamic behaviour similar to that of the pure copper electrode while the Cu-Al alloy presents some minor differences. In the active dissolution region the electrodes suffer pitting corrosion and in the other potential regions there are the formation of a passivant film with composition depending on the potential. The impedance responses of the electrodes are discussed. An electrodissolution mechanism is proposed and the effect of the alloying elements upon the impedance response and polarisation curves is explained. The main effects are due to the production of copper and silver chlorides and aluminium oxides/ hydroxides at the corroding interface. The addition of Al or (Al + Ag) increases the corrosion resistance of pure copper. © 1995.

Influence of iron addition on the microstructure and the electrochemical corrosion of Al-Zn-Mg alloys

The effect of Fe addition on the microstructural properties and the corrosion resistance of Al-Zn-Mg alloys submitted to different heat treatments (cast, annealed and aged), has been studied in chloride solutions using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), cyclic polarization (CP) and open circuit potential (o.c.p.) measurements. The presence of 0.3% Fe in the alloy limited the growth of the MgZn2 precipitates, both in the annealed and in the quenched specimens. No effect of Cr on the grain size in the presence of Fe was found because of the accumulation of Cr in the Fe-rich particles. Fe in the Al-Zn-Mg alloys also made them more susceptible to pitting. Pitting occurred mainly near the Fe-rich particles both, under o.c.p. conditions in O-2-saturated solutions and during the CP.

SILVER DISSOLUTION ON COPPER-BASED ALLOYS

Electrical resistivity measurements and scanning electron microscopy was used to study the dissolution of silver on Cu-Ag and Cu-Al-Ag alloys. The results seem to indicate that the dissolution temperature is affected by the addition of aluminium.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL TREATMENT ON CU-AL-AG ALLOYS IN DEAERATED 0.5M NAOH

The effect of consecutive cyclic polarization in de-aerated 0.5 M NaOH solutions on the surface microstructure of mechanically polished Cu-Al-Ag alloys of different compositions and heat treatments has been studied using optical microscopy, SEM and EDS. The current peaks of the cyclic polarization curves do not depend on the alloy composition in the composition range studied. The repetitive potential scans between H2 and O2 evolution in alkaline media lead to preferential dissolution of aluminium, the roughness and phase composition of the surface of the alloys changing significantly. The quasistationary I-E curves of the different Cu-Al-Ag alloys studied consist in the superposition of the quasistationary I-E curves of high-purity Cu and Ag, the EDS microanalysis showing that aluminium is not present on the surface of the alloy in these conditions.