Influence des traitements thermiques sur le comportement en corrosion à l'échelle locale de l'alliage d'aluminium en AW 2024

L’influence de traitements thermiques de revenu sur la corrosion localisée ainsi que sur la résistance mécanique en traction de l’alliage d’aluminium 2024 a été étudiée. Cet alliage est utilisé en construction aéronautique, à l’état T351 (mise en solution, trempe, écrouissage et maturation) grâce aux ses propriétés mécaniques élevées ; à l’état T6 (mise en solution, trempe, revenu au pic de dureté) il présente un bon compromis résistance/ductilité. Par contre, la présence d’hétérogénéités microstructurales le rend sensible à la corrosion localisée. Le traitement T7 (mise en solution, trempe, revenu après pic de dureté) peut améliorer la tenue à la corrosion au détriment des propriétés mécaniques. Dans un premier temps, il s’est agit de déterminer les conditions d’obtention des états métallurgiques T6 et T7 à étudier, à partir des courbes de dureté Vickers en fonction du temps de traitement. Les états métallurgiques obtenus, la microstructure et les propriétés mécaniques à l’échelle macroscopique et locale, ont été analysés. Un point important de cette étude a consisté en la recherche d’une méthode optimale pour la détermination de la distribution des particules intermétalliques grossières, paramètre de premier ordre pour les couplages galvaniques mis en jeu lors de la dissolution des particules. Dans un second temps, le comportement en corrosion, à différentes échelles a été suivi. Des techniques électrochimiques tel que le tracé de courbes de polarisation potentiocinétique et le suivi de potentiel libre, ont permis d’évaluer l’influence du traitement de revenu sur comportement globale en corrosion. A l’échelle locale, la dissolution des particules intermétalliques grossières a été suivie par l’évolution du potentiel de surface en fonction des différents traitements thermiques. Cela a pu être déterminé par microscopie à force atomique, couplée à l’analyse chimique des phases obtenue par spectroscopie à sélection d’énergie. Le taux de corrosion ainsi que l’abattement des propriétés mécaniques à différentes échelles, ont clairement montré l’importance du traitement T7 par rapport au traitement T6. L’ensemble des résultats présente un intérêt industriel dans la mesure où la résistance à la corrosion associée aux propriétés mécaniques peuvent indiquer la probabilité de l’endommagement du matériau

Mechanical and barrier properties of MOCVD processed alumina coatings on Ti6Al4V titanium alloy

This study focuses on the implementation of different aluminum oxide coatings processed by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition from aluminum tri-isopropoxide on commercial Ti6Al4V titanium alloy to improve its high temperature corrosion resistance. Films grown at 350 °C and at 480 °C are amorphous and correspond to formulas AlOOH, and Al2O3, respectively. Those deposited at 700 °C are composed of γ-Al2O3 nanocrystals dispersed in a matrix of amorphous alumina. Their mechanical properties and adhesion to the substrates were investigated by indentation, scratch and micro tensile tests. Hardness and rigidity of the films increase with increasing deposition temperature. The hardness of the coatings prepared at 350 °C and 480 °C is 5.8 ± 0.7 GPa and 10.8 ± 0.8 GPa respectively. Their Young's modulus is 92 ± 8 GPa (350 °C) and 155 ± 6 GPa (480 °C). Scratch tests cause adhesive failures of the films grown at 350 °C and 480 °C whereas cohesive failure is observed for the nanocrystalline one, grown at 700 °C. Micro tensile tests show a more progressive cracking of the latter films than on the amorphous ones. The films allow maintaining good mechanical properties after corrosion with NaCl deposit during 100 h at 450 °C. After corrosion test only the film deposited at 700 °C yields an elongation at break comparable to that of the as processed samples without corrosion. The as established processing–structure–properties relation paves the way to engineer MOCVD aluminum oxide complex coatings which meet the specifications of the high temperature corrosion protection of titanium alloys with regard to the targeted applications

Effect of the over-ageing treatment on the mechanical properties of AA2024 aluminum alloy.

The evolution of the hardness of the over-ageing AA2024 alloy scale was followed by measurements of Vickers hardness. The nanoindentation is adapted to the determination of elastoplastic properties (hardness and Young’s modulus) of the matrix and also of coarse intermetallic precipitates. Influence of the artificial over-ageing time to hardness and to mechanical properties as the local scale was investigated

Application of Kelvin probe Force Microscopy (KFM) to evidence localized corrosion of over-aged aeronautical 2024 aluminum alloy

The 2xxx serie aluminum alloys are characterized by good mechanical performances and low density, however they are susceptible to different forms of localized corrosion: pitting corrosion, intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. The 2024-T351 aluminum alloy is used in the aircraft industry for numerous applications such as fuselage and door skin. Corrosion damage of the material is also very detrimental for the structural integrity of the aircraft. The presence of coarse intermetallic particles, with a heterogeneous size distribution was found to be responsible for the 2024 susceptibility to localized corrosion. These particles are generally the cause of initiation sites. Presence of micro-defects in the oxide film upon coarse intermetallic particles and the galvanic coupling with the matrix contribute to the development of pitting corrosion. The over-ageing treatment (T7) is supposed to stabilize the microstructure and the mechanical properties to improve the corrosion resistance. The 2024 alloy microstructure after the T7 heat treatment remains very complex. The 2024 alloy corrosion behavior was studied in the over-ageing state for three different temperatures (150, 175 and 190 °C). During the corrosion tests in chloride-containing environment, the behavior of coarse intermetallic particles was found to be different. Thus, the 2024 samples suffer a gradual attack upon S-Al2CuMg particles and finally Al(Cu,Mn,Fe,Si) particles. The corrosion damage was studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Kelvin probe Force Microscopy (KFM). This technique allows simultaneous topographical and electric potential mapping to be obtained. This latest potential was shown to be correlated to the corrosion potential of the 2024 alloy. This study focuses on the variation of the KFM potential of the coarse intermetallic particles and the matrix for the over-ageing conditions (T7). Observations using optical microscope and AFM were also performed to obtain the corrosion rate for each condition. The corrosion rate was correlated to the chemical composition variation of the particles obtained by scanning electron microscope observations and EDS analyses

Study of the influence of the artificial ageing temperature on the AA2024 alloy microstructure

For the last 30 years, AA2024 aluminum alloy was very used as structural material in the aerospace industry due to its low density and good mechanical strength. The phenomenon of precipitation hardening in aluminum alloys takes place at relatively low temperature and induces the precipitation of intermetallic particles composed of the main alloying elements i.e., copper and magnesium. The fundamental stage of the age-hardening process consists in the acceleration of the decomposition phenomenon of the supersaturated solid solution, resulting in the coarse intermetallic particle precipitation; stage where the mechanical properties reaches the maximum values, but at the cost of a low corrosion resistance. In this paper, the AA2024 alloy microstructure was studied during the over-ageing process. The over-ageing treatment (T7) is supposed to stabilize the microstructure and the mechanical properties to improve the corrosion resistance. The over-ageing treatment consists in a solution treatment at 495±5°C for 1 hour, quenched into cold water and artificial aged. Three different artificial ageing temperatures were studied: 150°C, 175°C and 190°C. The mechanical properties modifications were followed by Vickers macrohardness measurements. The treatment duration for each temperature (36 days for 150°C, 50 hrs for 175°C and 24 hrs for 190°C) was determined by a given macrohardness reduction. To characterize the over-aged AA2024 alloy microstructure, a statistical analysis of the surface fraction and surface density of intermetallic particles was made. The intermetallic particle dimension distribution, depending on the over-ageing temperature, was also observed. To do so, scanning electron microscope observations were carried out and image analyses were performed from backscattered electron images

Influence of heat treatments on the corrosion behavior at the local scale of EN AW 2024 aluminum alloy

L’influence de traitements thermiques de revenu sur la corrosion localisée ainsi que sur la résistance mécanique en traction de l’alliage d’aluminium 2024 a été étudiée. Cet alliage est utilisé en construction aéronautique, à l’état T351 (mise en solution, trempe, écrouissage et maturation) grâce aux ses propriétés mécaniques élevées ; à l’état T6 (mise en solution, trempe, revenu au pic de dureté) il présente un bon compromis résistance/ductilité. Par contre, la présence d’hétérogénéités microstructurales le rend sensible à la corrosion localisée. Le traitement T7 (mise en solution, trempe, revenu après pic de dureté) peut améliorer la tenue à la corrosion au détriment des propriétés mécaniques. Dans un premier temps, il s’est agit de déterminer les conditions d’obtention des états métallurgiques T6 et T7 à étudier, à partir des courbes de dureté Vickers en fonction du temps de traitement. Les états métallurgiques obtenus, la microstructure et les propriétés mécaniques à l’échelle macroscopique et locale, ont été analysés. Un point important de cette étude a consisté en la recherche d’une méthode optimale pour la détermination de la distribution des particules intermétalliques grossières, paramètre de premier ordre pour les couplages galvaniques mis en jeu lors de la dissolution des particules. Dans un second temps, le comportement en corrosion, à différentes échelles a été suivi. Des techniques électrochimiques tel que le tracé de courbes de polarisation potentiocinétique et le suivi de potentiel libre, ont permis d’évaluer l’influence du traitement de revenu sur comportement globale en corrosion. A l’échelle locale, la dissolution des particules intermétalliques grossières a été suivie par l’évolution du potentiel de surface en fonction des différents traitements thermiques. Cela a pu être déterminé par microscopie à force atomique, couplée à l’analyse chimique des phases obtenue par spectroscopie à sélection d’énergie. Le taux de corrosion ainsi que l’abattement des propriétés mécaniques à différentes échelles, ont clairement montré l’importance du traitement T7 par rapport au traitement T6. L’ensemble des résultats présente un intérêt industriel dans la mesure où la résistance à la corrosion associée aux propriétés mécaniques peuvent indiquer la probabilité de l’endommagement du matériau.N

Effect of the Over-ageing Treatment on the Mechanical Properties of AA2024 Aluminum Alloy

The evolution of the hardness of the over-ageing AA2024 alloy scale was followed by measurements of Vickers hardness. The nanoindentation is adapted to the determination of elastoplastic properties (hardness and Young's modulus) of the matrix and also of coarse intermetallic precipitates. Influence of the artificial over-ageing time to hardness and to mechanical properties as the local scale was investigated. Keywords: AA2024 aluminum alloy, over-ageing treatment, mechanical properties, hardness, Young's modulus The aluminum alloys of the 2000 series, AA2024-T351 alloy, are used in the aerospace industry for the wings and fuselage skins of the aircraft, due to the high strength to weight ratio associated with good fracture toughness. A combination of alloying elements, heat treatment and ageing induce the improvement of mechanical properties, as well as good damage tolerance and resistance to fatigue The precipitation of the equilibrium phase, S -Al2CuMg phases and the phases S" and S' is the main responsible for final hardening. Most authors considered that the dislocations serve as the heterogeneous nucleation sites for the S (Al2CuMg) phase in Al-Cu-Mg alloy during artificial ageing The mechanical properties are improved due to hardening precipitation that lead to peak-ageing condition and to the over-ageing condition with increasing ageing. During ageing treatment, the change in mechanical properties function of the treatment time can be plotted as a belle-shape curve, with a maximum value. The evolution of mechanical properties can be described by three successive stages: under-aged temper, aged temper and over-aged temper. In the figure 1 are represented the evolution of hardness and mechanical strength of the aluminum alloy during ageing treatment The present work was aimed to investigate effects of over-ageing treatment on the mechanical properties of the