The influence of T3, T8 and T851 thermomechanical treatments on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of the AA2198 was investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy were used for microstructural characterisation, whereas electrochemical methods were employed to analyse the corrosion behaviour of the alloy. The morphology and composition of constituent particles were similar for the T3 and T8 thermomechanical treatments but varied in the T851. There was an inverse relation between T1 phase density and corrosion resistance. The T3 treatment with the highest corrosion resistance was the one with the lowest density of T1 phase. The mechanisms of corrosion varied with the thermomechanical treatments.
The 2XXX Al alloys are characterized by their superior mechanical properties resulting from alloying elements and precipitation hardening treatments. The AA2524-T3 alloy was developed to replace the AA2024-T3 alloy in the aerospace industry. However, both alloys present many intermetallic particles (IMCs) in their microstructure, and this is the main reason for their high susceptibility to localized corrosion (such as pitting and stress corrosion cracking). Despite the similarities between these alloys (e.g., chemical composition and type of intermetallics) the literature comparing their properties is scarce and focuses mainly on their mechanical properties, not their corrosion resistances. In this investigation, the corrosion resistance of the AA2524-T3 alloy was compared to the AA2024-T3 alloy. The microstructure of both alloys was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy before and after immersion in the test electrolyte, and the number and area fraction of intermetallics of each alloy was determined. The corrosion resistance of both alloys was monitored as a function of exposure time by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the results were fitted using electrical equivalent circuits. The AA2524-T3 alloy presented not only higher impedance values but also less corroded areas than the AA2024-T3 alloy.