Interkristalline,Kornflächen- und Spannungsriß-Korrosion von ausgehärteten AlZnMg 1-Legierungen

Intercrystalline corrosion, grain-phase corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking of aged AlZnMg1 alloys Potentiostatic polarisation curves and stress corrosion crack propagation of a pure and a commercial AlZnMg1-alloy, both peakhardened either by warm or by double ageing, were investigated in airsaturated sodium halide and sulfate solutions at a temperature of 303 K. For this, propagation of crack tips was observed microphotographically under potentiostatic conditions and under constant stress using specimens precracked by fatique corrosion. The pure alloy contents (weight percent): Zn 4,4; Mg 1,26; Fe 0,05; Si 0,006; balance Al, the commercial alloy: Zn 5,05; Mg 1,2; Fe 0,23; Si 0,1; Mn 0,23; Cr 0,2; Cr 0,2; Ti 0,074; Zr 0,12; Cu 0,056; balance Al. In sodium halide solutions either grain boundary and grain attack or only grain attack occurs at a potential region more positive than the respective breakdown potential. At the more negative restpotential no attack can be observed. The influence of concentration of chloride ions on the velocity of discontinuous crack propagation in the pure alloy, which starts without any initiation stage, is different for both heat treatments. No crack propagation is observed in the commercial alloy and in any case in sulfate solutions. The obtained stress corrosion cracking results may be explained by hydrogen embrittlement of the area around the crack tip.