Electrochemical and microstructural study of oxide films formed electrochemically at microcrystalline Al-Fe-V-Si...

A recent advance in metallurgical technology has been the application of rapid solidification techniques to Al alloy production. FVS0812 is the designation given to a microcrystalline Al-based alloy consisting of 8 wt% Fe, 1 wt% V and 2 wt% Si. It is a two-phase alloy, consisting of ca. 27 vol percent of approximately spherical Fe-V-Si-rich dispersoids in an essentially pure Al matrix. The high strength, low density properties of this advanced material, and other related alloys, have not yet been realized, however, due, in part, to the inability of the alloy to form a thick, adherent, abrasion-resistant outer surface oxide film, a feature readily achieved at conventional Al alloys by normal anodizing methods. The present research has involved an electro-chemical study of oxide film growth at the 812 alloy, with the specific goals being to seek an understanding of the origin of the oxide film growth problem and ultimately to propose alternative approaches to the formation of a thick, stable oxide film at this material. The techniques used in this research have included electrochemical methodologies such as cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Crucial information has been obtained through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of ultramicrotomed specimens. Experiments were carried out initially in neutral borate solutions to characterize the compact barrier oxide film formed in this environment and expected to be present beneath the porous oxide film formed in the normal sulfuric acid anodizing medium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)