Aluminium AA2024 T351 aeronautical alloy: Part 1. Microbial influenced corrosion analysis

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to correlate the elemental distribution of alloying elements with the MIC attack morphology of the AA2024 T351 alloy by the fungus Hormoconis resinae. Anodic polarisation was applied up to the Ep of the AA22024 alloy after different thermal treatments, especially T351, and to Al 99.999% as reference. The aqueous solutions were sterile Bushnell–Haas culture medium employed both as mineral nutrient for fungal growth and as support electrolyte. The variation in aggressiveness of cultures with time was also electrochemically analysed. The attack after different tests was evaluated using ESEM, SEM, EDX and optical microscopy. It was demonstrated the MIC susceptibility of the AA2024 T351 alloy to fungal cultures and the dangerous tunnelling morphology of the respective attack through grain boundaries.