Estudo da corrosão localizada da liga de alumínio 7475-T761 por espectroscopia de impedância eletroquímica global e local em meio de sulfato de sódio. / Localized corrosion study of aluminum alloy 7475-T761 in sulfate medium using global and local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

20/07/2011

RESUMO

Aluminum alloys used in the aerospace industry with structural purpose exhibit a complex microstructure due to thermal and mechanical treatments they are submitted for improving their strength. The microstructure of these alloys is characterized by the presence of a great number of intermetallic (IM) particles, the electrochemical activity of which is different from the matrix leading to the onset of localized corrosion phenomena associated with local galvanic cells. In the last decade local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (LEIS) has been used as a powerful tool to elucidate local features associated with corrosion and also to study theoretical issues related to current and potential distributions at electrode surfaces and their correlation with surface reactivity. This technique is based on the calculation and analysis of different local impedances acquired by a bi-electrode probe positioned in the vicinity of the electrode surface. The aim of the present work is to study localized corrosion of Al alloy 7475-T761, used with structural purpose in aircraft wings and fuselages, in sulfate containing media using global electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and LEIS associated with microstructural characterization by SEM/EDS. The results of the investigations with the global techniques together with the microstructural characterization confirmed that local pH increasing at the matrix/IM interface due to the cathodic reaction on the IMs is the most important cause for the localized corrosion of the alloy. This process leads to local dissolution of the passive layer and to an important depolarization of the Al oxidation reaction leading to a great increase in the corrosion rate of the metal. On the other hand the investigations using the rotating disk electrode (RDE) revealed that sulfate ions increase the anticorrosion performance of the passive layer and are particularly aggressive at Cu-rich IMs. Regarding the studies with the LEIS technique they were mainly performed using an Al 7475/Cu model electrode aiming to simulate the electrochemical activity at the IM/alloy interface. This approach was new as, to the best of our knowledge, it was the first time a commercial alloy was used as one of the component of a model electrode for local electrochemical investigation. The results were in accordance with theoretical models already developed for the effects of geometry induced current and potential distributions on the electrode surface reactivity, and also showed that the bi-electrode was sensitive to minute change of the electrochemical activity at the interface of the galvanic couple, which was confirmed by SEM/EDS analysis. Another originality of the present work regarding the use of LEIS was that, for the first time, a tri-electrode was used to acquire the local impedance diagrams. This system allows the simultaneous measurement of the normal and radial components of the local current making possible a better comprehension of the local interfacial phenomena. The results of the measurements with this new system were in good agreement with the theoretical model for the local electrochemical response presented in this work, indicating that it can be a valuable tool for a better comprehension of the local interfacial processes.

ASSUNTO(S)

al 7475-t761 al 7475-t761 corrosão corrosion eis eis eletrodo modelo leis leis model electrode tri-electrode tri-eletrodo

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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