Effect of mechanical deformation on corrosion and repassivation of 2024-T3 and 7075-T6 aluminum alloys

The present work reports on the effect of constant bending load on corrosion and repassivation of high strength 2024-T3 and 7075-T6 Al alloys in NaCl solutions, investigated by means of single cycle anodic polarization and galvanic corrosion experiments. Bending loads up to the yield strength of a given alloy were applied using four point bent beam stress corrosion test specimens. The effect of bending load (side in tension) on the electrochemical behavior is more evident for Al 7075-T6, also in the presence of galvanic coupling with CRES 304. A critical electrochemical condition associated to the onset of microplasticity is identified from the repassivation behavior. The existence of such critical condition though less noticeable is indicated for Al 2024-T3 also. In this case, the effect of stress is likely overwhelmed by microstructural corrosion. Overall results emphasize the interdependence between the local aggressive environment, the electrochemical event and the mechanical state in the stress corrosion cracking of Al alloys.