Corrosion resistance of Al–Li alloys

Abstract

Experiments designed to investigate the corrosion resistance of several lithium-containing aluminium alloys are described. Intergranular corrosion was investigated using the NAWL test, exfoliation corrosion using the EXCO test, and stress corrosion using the C-ring test. It was found that intergranular corrosion varied with extrusion parameters and was more severe in copper-containing alloys. Alloys containing less than 0·4% Cu were not susceptible to stress corrosion. In alloys that failed, susceptibility increased as the aging treatment was extended from the underaged to the peak aged temper and also with increasing copper content. The addition of copper to ternary Al–Mg–Li alloys also increased the exfoliation corrosion attack.

MST/494