Effects of solution heat treatment on corrosion resistance of 5083F Al alloy

Aluminum alloys are used as substitutes for fiber reinforced polymer(FRP) in ships and boats. However, ships constructed with 5000-series Al alloy suffer a little corrosion in the marine environment, when they run in high speed, and high flow rate, etc. Therefore, solution heat treatment was carried out to prevent corrosion. The optimal heat treatment involved heating specimens for 120 min at 420 °C and then cooling them in water. In addition, the optimal ageing condition involved ageing specimens for 240 min at 180 °C. The slow strain rate test(SSRT) in a seawater revealed that heat treatment under optimal conditions produced improved elongation, time-to-fracture and amount of dimples compared with the as-received specimen.