Structure and corrosion resistance of Al–Cu–Fe alloys

Abstract The microstructure and electrochemical properties of Al–Cu–Fe alloys with the atomic compositions of Al65Cu20Fe15, Al78Cu7Fe15 and Al80Cu5Fe14Si1 have been studied. The alloys were produced by induction melting of pure elements with copper mold casting. The microstructure of the alloys was analyzed by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The formation of quasicrystalline phases in the Al–Cu–Fe alloys was confirmed. The presence of intermetallic phases was observed in the alloys after crystallization in a form of ingots and plates. The electrochemical measurements were conducted in 3.5% NaCl solution. The electronic structure of the alloys was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The post corrosion surface of the samples was checked using a scanning electron microscope equipped with the energy-dispersive X-ray detector. It was observed that the Al65Cu20Fe15 alloy had the highest corrosion resistance. The improved corrosion resistance parameters were noted for the plate samples rather than those in the as-cast state. And the hardness of the Al65Cu20Fe15 alloy was significantly higher than the other alloy samples.