An investigation of the corrosion properties of aluminum-tantalum alloys using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
An investigation of passivity of single phase Al-Ta alloys and the contribution of the second phase, Al3Ta, to breakdown is presented. In 0.1M NaCl buffered to pH 7 with boric acid and sodium borate the passive current density of pure aluminum was found to be approximately 0.3 microamps/cm(exp 2), the passive current densities of Al 4 at percent Ta, Al 8 at percent Ta were found to be 2.5 and 2.4 microamps/cm(exp 2) respectively while the pitting potentials of these alloys were approximately 500 mV greater than that of pure aluminum. Traditional EIS measurements in 0.5M boric acid 0.05M sodium borate solution found the impedance values of the Al-4Ta and Al-8Ta were found to be 5.6 x 10(exp 4) and 3.1 x 10(exp 4) ohm cm(exp 2) respectively while that of pure aluminum was found to be about 1.2 x 10(exp 5) ohm cm(exp 2). In addition, the thickness of the oxide film on the alloys to be less than that of pure aluminum in all solutions examined. Similar results were obtained for chloride containing solutions. These results indicate that there is no correlation between passive current density and the breakdown potential; that is the passive current density and the breakdown potential are two unrelated phenomena. The results of Local Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (LEIS) experiments on a heat treated Al 1.5 at percent Ta alloy, which contained Al3Ta precipitates, revealed that the capacitance of the film over the precipitate is higher than the capacitance of the film over the aluminum portion of this electrode. This indicates that thickness of the film over the precipitate is thinner than the film over aluminum. This interface, between the oxide over the Al3Ta precipitates and the oxide over the aluminum matrix, is perceived as being incoherent and is interpreted here as a 'residual flaw', as described by the crack/heal mechanism proposed by Wood et al.
- Research Organization:
- Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 7108515
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Ph.D. Thesis
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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