Corrosion Behavior of Aluminum Bronze under Thin Electrolyte Layers Containing Artificial Seawater

Abstract

The corrosion behavior of aluminum bronze under thin electrolyte layers (TELs) that contain artificial sea water has been investigated via Tafel polarization curve measurements, cathodic potentiodynamic curve measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). Tafel polarization curve showed that the corrosion rate increased with decreasing TEL’s thickness at early stage, which is in good agreement with cathodic potentiodynamic curves and EIS measurements. However, after immersion for long periods of time, the corrosion rate varied non-monotonically with TEL thickness, at 302 μm>202 μm>403 pm>bulk solution. The morphologies and EDS results demonstrated that aluminum bronze suffered a dealuminification corrosion and that the corrosion occurred initially at the interface between the a matrix and the p phase, before developing further within the p phase.