Effect of heat treatment on microstructure evolution and erosion–corrosion behavior of a nickel–aluminum bronze alloy in chloride solution

Abstract In this work, the effect of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties, as well as corrosion and erosion–corrosion behavior of a nickel–aluminum bronze (NAB) alloy in sodium chloride solution was studied. The heat treatment affects remarkably the microstructure of the NAB alloy and its mechanical properties. The strength and hardness increase with the increasing content of hard phases in the alloy. There is no obvious effect of the microstructure on electrochemical corrosion behavior of the alloy under various heat treatments. However, its erosion–corrosion resistance can be improved by generation of hard phases such as β ′ and κ phases by heat treatments.