Modelling the corrosion behaviour of Al2CuMg coarse particles in copper-rich aluminium alloys

The corrosion behaviour of 2024 aluminium alloy in sulphate solutions was studied; attention was focused on the influence of coarse intermetallic Al₂CuMg particles on the corrosion resistance of the alloy. Model alloys representative of the aluminium matrix and of Al₂CuMg coarse intermetallics were synthesized by magnetron sputtering. Open-circuit potential measurements, current-potential curve plotting and galvanic coupling tests were performed in sulphate solutions with or without chlorides. Further explanations were deduced from the study of the passive films grown on model alloys in sulphate solutions. The results showed that model alloys are a powerful tool to study the corrosion behaviour of aluminium alloys.