Electrochemical Behavior of Al–Al9Co2 Alloys in Sulfuric Acid

Abstract

Al–Co alloys of various Co contents (2–20 wt.% Co) were fabricated by vacuum arc melting (VAM) with the scope to investigate the influence of cobalt on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of Al in 1 M H2SO4. The obtained microstructures were directional, consisting of Al9Co2 platelets (grown to coarse acicular plates as the Co content increased) uniformly dispersed in an Al-matrix. Alloying Al with Co did not decrease the rate of uniform corrosion of Al but it considerably increased its passivation ability. Moreover, all Al–Co alloys displayed lower uniform corrosion rate and notably higher passivation ability than market leading Al-alloys. The underlying mechanisms during anodic polarization in 1 M H2SO4 were identified and correlated with the microstructure. High Co content alloys (7–20 wt.% Co) presented superior passivation ability in 1 M H2SO4 as compared to the low Co content alloys.