Improved Atmospheric Corrosion Testing for Aluminum Alloys, Part II: Developing Improved Testing Protocol

A modified version of ASTM G85-A2 was developed in this work with the intention of targeting a relative humidity (RH) of 75% during the dwell period. The outcome was two different RH profiles, one that averaged 74% RH during the dwell period and another that averaged 61.5% RH during the dwell period. Both tests produced moderate exfoliation in AA2060-T3 after just 12 days of exposure. Other high-strength aluminum alloys (AA7075, AA2024) were exposed to the modified RH profiles, and both tests could correctly differentiate exfoliation resistance for these alloys. An average RH between 74% and 61.5% during the dwell period was found to produce consistent exfoliation ratings after a short exposure time. Electrochemical measurements made during salt spray testing were used to propose electrochemical mechanisms that occur during wetting and drying in atmospheric corrosion testing.