Effect of pressurized steam on AA1050 aluminium

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to understand the effect of pressurized steam on surface changes, structures of intermetallic particles and corrosion behavior of AA1050 aluminium. Industrially pure aluminium (AA1050, 99.5 per cent) surfaces were exposed to pressurized steam produced from a commercial pressure cooker at the maximum temperature of 116oC for 10 min. Surface morphology was observed using SEMEDX and FIBSEM. Phase identification and compositional depth profiling were investigated using XRD and GDOES, respectively. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements were used to study corrosion behavior. A 590 nm boehmite oxide layer was generated on AA1050 associated with partially dissolved and/or fallen off Fecontaining intermetallic particles after exposure to pressurized steam. A significant reduction (25 times) in anodic and cathodic reactivities was observed due to the formation of the compact oxide layer. This paper reveals a detailed investigation of how pressurized steam can affect the corrosion behaviour of AA1050 aluminium and the structure of Fecontaining intermetallic particles. © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited