Algerian Journal of Engineering & Research AJER, N°0, 2017

Effect of Large Cold Rolling on Corrosion Resistance of 5754

Aluminium Alloy in Marine Medium
Ali Naimi1 ; Hafsa Dermouche2, Fatima Zohra Sayah 2
1: Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences and Applied Sciences, Bouira university, Algeria, email:
alinaimi.phy@gmail.com
2: Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Applied Sciences, Bouira university, Algeria

Abstract

The effect of large cold rolling on corrosion resistance of 5754 aluminium alloy frequently used in marine
industry have been investigated in marine medium (3.5 NaCl solution). The corrosion tests performed basing on
open-circuit potential and potentiondynamic measurements show that cold rolling reduces the corrosion
resistance of the alloy. Microscopic observations performed on the samples used for corrosion tests confirm the
previous result. Microscopic observations show also a heterogeneous corrosion in both undeformed and
deformed alloys which suggests that intermetallic particles are very probably responsible of the corrosion of the
alloy.

Keywords: aluminum alloy, corrosion, cold rolling.

I. Introduction subsequently quenched in cold water. Deformation

Owing to their excellent combination of low
density, relatively high strength and good corrosion
resistance aluminium alloys are widely used in
modern industry such as aeronautic and automotive.
[1, 2]. Nevertheless, aluminium alloys strength is
still much lower from that offered by steel. One of
the most adopted way to increase aluminium alloys
strength is plastic deformation [3-10].
Unfortunately, plastic deformation may affect
negatively the corrosion resistance [11-17]. This
work aim is to highlight the effect of large plastique
deformation by cold rolling on the corrosion
resistance of 5754 aluminium alloy in marine
medium.
II. Materials et Methods
The typical composition of 5754 aluminium used in
this study is shown in Tab. 1. Sheet samples from
the alloy were solution treated at 580 °C for 3h then
was performed by cold rolling to final thicknesses
reduction of 75%. Corrosion tests consisting of
open circuit potential (OCP) and potentiodynamic
polarization (PP) measurements are performed on
samples mechanically ground with emery-paper up
to 5000 grit in naturally aerated 3.5% NaCl solution
at room temperature using a PGZ301 potentiostat.
Before potentiodynamic polarization, the specimens
are immersed in the test solution for 20 min until
stabilization of OCP. Potentiodynnamic
polarization scans are performed at a relatively slow
rate of 1 mV/s, starting from a potential of about
0.3 V below OCP. Micrographics observations
were made on samples after corrosion tests to more
highlight the corrosion behaviour of the alloy after
deformation.
III. Results and Discussion
A. Corrosion test

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 Algerian Journal of Engineering & Research AJER, N°0, 2017

Table 1. Chemical composition of 5754 aluminium alloy

Element Si Fe Cu Mn Mg Cr Zn Ti Al
Content, wt % 0.4 0.4 0.1 0.5 2.6-3.6 0.3 0.2 0.15 balance

(a) (b)

Figure 1. (a) OCP and (b) PP curves obtained for 5754 cold rolled and undeformed alloy in 3.5% NaCl solution

The results of OCP and PP tests performed on
undeformed and cold rolled alloy are shown in Fig
1. It is shown that both OCP and PP of both cold
rolled and undeformed alloy got the same profile
which suggest that cold rolling does not affect the
corrosion mechanism of the alloy. The stability of
OCP potential is due to the partial repair of the
Al2O3 thin film oxide naturally formed on
aluminium and aluminium alloys [18]. The
significant noise level in the OCP after stabilisation
witness of the alteration of the oxide film which is
due to the presence of the inclusions which are
present in the alloy even after solution heat
treatment [19]. These inclusions are at the origin of
the localized corrosion especially in the presence of
aggressive ions such as chlorides [20]. The fact that
an application of a small anodic polarisation leads
to a dramatic increase of the current density suggest
that the alloy is susceptible to the localized
corrosion. As summarized in Tab. 2, the corrosion
potential of the alloy remains the same after
deformation which indicates that the deformation
does not affect the nobleness of the alloy. On the
other hand, the corrosion current density shows a
remarkable increase after deformation. This
indicates that the alloy is more susceptible to the
corrosion in the deformed state. The increase of the
current density in the cold rolled alloys is attributed
in some investigations to the change induced by
deformation in grains boundaries characteristics
Table 2. Potentiodynamic polarization parameters obtained for 5754 aluminium alloy in 3.5% NaCl
[21]. In more recent work [22], this increase is
attributed to the constraints induced by the
deformation, especially at the grain boundaries,
which significantly accelerates the process of
intergranular corrosion. However, as it will be
shown later, microscopic observations performed
on the undeformed and cold rolled alloys after PP
tests show no sign of intergranular corrosion which
suggest another corrosion mechanism of the alloy.
B. Microscopic observations
To better understand the corrosion mechanism of
the 5754-aluminium alloy, optical microscopic
observations are performed on the undeformed and
cold rolled 5754 aluminium alloy after PP
measurements (Fig. 2 & 3). It is clear that corrosion
in both deformed and undeformed alloy initiate at
specific regions to invade after the rest of the alloy.
It is very probably that the corrosion initiates at the
inclusions contained by the alloy [23, 19, 24, 25]
such as Al6 (Fe, Mn), Al6Mn, Al6Fe, Al3Fe and
Mg2Si which are more or less noble than the
aluminium. It is also shown that the deformation
has a great effect on the corrosion of the 5754
aluminium alloy which is in agreement with PP
tests results. It is well known that cold rolling
elongates the inclusions and changes their
distribution [25]. Therefore, more favourable sites
for initiating the corrosion with large surface are

Corrosion potential ECorr (mV) Corrosion current density iCorr(A/cm2)

5754 undeformed alloy -736 1.17
5754 cold rolled alloy -737 1.37

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 Algerian Journal of Engineering & Research AJER, N°0, 2017

found in cold rolled alloy. Thus, the cold rolled particles is responsible of the decreasing of the
alloy is much susceptible to corrosion than the corrosion resistance of the deformed alloy.
undeformed one.
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(a) (b)

X 50 X 50

Figure 2. Optical microscopic observations showing the surface of (a) undeformed and (b) cold rolled 5754 aluminium alloy after PP test
achieved at -600 mV.

(a) (b)

X 50 X 50

Figure 3. Optical microscopic observations showing the surface of (a) undeformed and (b) cold rolled 5754 aluminium alloy after PP test
achieved at -450 mV.

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