Improving of Corrosion Resistance of Aluminum Alloys by Removing Intermetallic Compound

It is well known that iron is one of the most common impurity elements found in aluminum and its alloys. Iron in the aluminum forms an intermetallic compounds such as $FeAl_3$. The $FeAl_3$ particles on the aluminum surface are one of the most detrimental phases to the corrosion process and anodizing procedure for aluminum and its alloys. Trial and error surface treatment will be carried out to find the preferential and effective removal of $FeAl_3$ particles on the surfaces without dissolution of aluminum matrix around the particles. One of the preferable surface treatments for the aim of getting $FeAl_3$ free surface was an electrochemical treatment such as cathodic current density of $-2kAm^{-2}$ in a 20-30 mass% $HNO_3$ solution for the period of 300s. The corrosion characteristics of aluminum surface with $FeAl_3$ free particles are examined in a $0.1kmol/m^3$ NaCl solution. It is found that aluminum with free $FeAl_3$ particles shows higher corrosion resistance than aluminum with $FeAl_3$ particles.