The Influence of Tungsten Alloying Additions on the Passivity of Aluminum

Transition metals such as Mo, W, Ta, Cr, and W can be used to significantly enhance the localized corrosion resistance of Al. Since these elements exhibit very low solubilities in aluminum, a nonequilibrium alloying method, such as sputter deposition, must be used to produce single-phase alloys. The addition of approximately 9 atom percent W to Al can shift its pitting potential in the positive direction as much as 2600 mV. Heat-treatment of these nonequilibrium alloys results in the precipitation of a second phase that is detrimental, but not catastrophic, to corrosion performance. Surface analysis of the Al-W passive film formed as a function of applied anodic potential reveals that it remains thin throughout the polarization sequence and contains very little oxidized solute, regardless of the applied potential. The oxidized W present in the film is in the form of WO{sub 2} and WO{sub 3} (or WO{sup {minus}2}{sub 4}). The results of this paper reveal that the electrostatic-repulsion or oxidized-solute barrier-layer mechanisms are not responsible for the dramatic enhancement in the passivity of Al with the addition of W. Instead, the small amount of oxidized W in the passive film may interact synergistically with the hydrated aluminum oxide structure to formmore » a more protective film.« less