Corrosion Evolution Laws of 7xxx Series Aluminum Alloy Composite Plates in Salt Spray Environment

DAN Nier; MENG Erchao; SUN Jianlin; SHANG Zhengping

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.06.011

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (6) : 112-122. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.06.011

Light Alloy Forming

Corrosion Evolution Laws of 7xxx Series Aluminum Alloy Composite Plates in Salt Spray Environment

DAN Nier¹, MENG Erchao^1,*, SUN Jianlin¹, SHANG Zhengping²

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Abstract

The work aims to investigate the corrosion behavior of 7A52/7A01/7A63 aluminum alloy composite plates in salt spray environment and study the effect of the 7A52/7A63 layer thickness ratio on the corrosion resistance. Electrochemical methods, including neutral salt spray testing, EIS, and polarization curve measurements, were combined with SEM, white light confocal microscopy, XRD, and EDS to characterize the surface morphology, corrosion product phases, and compositions. 7A63 exhibited intergranular corrosion and deep pitting due to high Cu, Zn, and Mg contents, whereas 7A52 and 7A01 underwent predominantly uniform corrosion. The corrosion resistance exhibited a dynamic evolution characterized by sequential stages of “film damage-formation-stabilization-eventual breakage”. Analysis of corrosion products revealed that the main components were Al₂O₃ and Al(OH)₃, with the presence of AlCl₃ also detected. Fitting of corrosion kinetic curves showed that corrosion products not only failed to inhibit corrosion but also exhibited a “corrosion product-promoted corrosion” characteristic due to Cl^‒ penetration and galvanic effects. Electrochemical analysis further revealed that the material exhibited optimal corrosion resistance after 144 h of salt spray corrosion, attributed to the densification of Zn-Al composite oxides. However, as corrosion time extended to 240 h, corrosion resistance decreased due to film breakage. When the layer thickness ratio of 7A52 to 7A63 was 3:5, Zn phases synergistically formed a dense protective film. This yielded higher polarization resistance (R_p), lower corrosion current density, and superior corrosion resistance relative to the 1:7 ratio system. The alloy composition and layer thickness ratio of the composite plates significantly affect their corrosion behavior. Optimizing the 7A52/7A63 layer thickness ratio can enhance film compactness and inhibit Cl^‒ erosion.

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7A52/7A01/7A63 aluminum alloy composite plates / salt spray environment / layer thickness ratio / corrosion behavior / corrosion resistance

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DAN Nier, MENG Erchao, SUN Jianlin, SHANG Zhengping. Corrosion Evolution Laws of 7xxx Series Aluminum Alloy Composite Plates in Salt Spray Environment[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2026, 18(6): 112-122 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.06.011

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