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Studies on the repassivation behavior of aluminum and aluminum alloy exposed to chromate solutions
Author(s) -
Chidambaram Devicharan,
Jaime Vasquez M.,
Halada Gary P.,
Clayton Clive R.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.1507
Subject(s) - chromate conversion coating , hexavalent chromium , alloy , chromium , aluminium , chemistry , ion , metallurgy , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , materials science , inorganic chemistry , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering
Abstract This study explores the repassivation ability of a scratch in a chromate conversion coating (CCC) on aluminum alloy, AA2024‐T3, and hence evaluates the theory of migration of hexavalent chromium ions from the protected surface of the aluminum alloy to the exposed surface. To confirm that protection was indeed restored by hexavalent chromium ions, the repassivation of a scratch on pure aluminum exposed to a dichromate solution was studied. This forms the simplest subsystem model of the CCC on the alloy in which the CCC is replaced by pure hexavalent chromium and alloy with pure aluminum. Open‐circuit potential measurements, synchrotron infrared microspectroscopy (SIRMS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) have been used judiciously to evaluate the repassivation behavior. Results indicate that the dichromate ions have high mobility. The slow migration of Cr(VI) ions from the protected surface to the scratch is observed to result in repassivation, as seen from the steady increase in the potential in 0.05 M NaCl solution. The results obtained from SIMS and SIRMS confirm the migration of the oxyanions from the protected region to the metal surface exposed by the scratch. The SIRMS results indicate the formation of an Al(III)–Cr(VI) complex, proposed and shown to be formed in the pits. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.