Abstract
Weight loss studies and scanning electron microscopy revealed that cupric ions act as accelerators of the corrosion of aluminium and an AI-Li alloy in chloride solution with a pH of 2. The corrosion rates of the two materials increased with cupric ion concentration in the solution and drastically so when this exceeded a critical value. The nature of the corrosion was significantly influenced by the presence of cupric ions, changing from a general to a mixed mode of corrosion for aluminium, while the alloy exhibited localised attack as the predominant mode of corrosion in the presence of cupric ions. The severity of localised attack increased with increasing cupric ion concentration in both cases. Possible mechanisms by which the cupric ions accelerate the corrosion reaction are highlighted.
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