Corrosion behavior of 2099 Al-Li alloy in NaCl aqueous solution

The corrosion behavior of 2099 Al-Li alloy in NaCl aqueous solutions with different concentrations (1.5, 3.5, and 5.0% in mass fraction) was investigated. Its corrosion resistance was evaluated using electrochemical measurements together with full immersion tests. The results showed that the 2099 Al-Li alloy possessed good corrosion resistance in NaCl aqueous solutions. Its corrosion rate increased with increasing chloride ion concentration. The main form of corrosion failure was pitting corrosion. The impurity containing sulfur leads to surface pitting. The oxide films that formed during the manufacturing process offer a good resistance to corrosion. They are likely to suffer separation, cracking, and drop-off when immersed in aggressive NaCl aqueous solution. The good corrosion susceptibility of the alloy may be attributed to homogeneous coherent nanoscale precipitates.