Correlation between corrosion resistance, anodic hydrogen evolution and microhardness in friction stir weldment of AA2198 alloy
Highlights: • There is a relationship between hardness, corrosion and H{sub 2} evolution in AA2198-T851 alloy friction stir weldment • Variation in the population density of T1 particles is the correlating factor for the relationship • The parent material is the region that is most susceptible to corrosion. • The weld zones of AA2198-T851 alloy friction stir weldment exhibit different forms of corrosion. - Abstract: Correlation between corrosion resistance, anodic hydrogen evolution and microhardness in the friction stir weldment of AA2198-T851 alloy has been investigated. Different microscopy techniques, scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) and potentiodynamic polarization tests were employed in the investigation. Unlike other 3rd generation Al-Cu-Li alloys where the regions that are most susceptible to corrosion are always within the weld region, the results reveal that the parent material is the most susceptible in this case. There is a direct correlation between corrosion resistance, anodic hydrogen evolution and microhardness in the weldment, and the T{sub 1} phase is associated with the direct correlation.