| Abstract |
The effect of the presence of lithium ions in carbonate solutions on the corrosion behaviour of aluminium was studied taking into consideration the particular importance of the use of lithium-containing aluminium alloys in aeronautics. dc electrochemical polarization measurements were performed on pure aluminium (99.999\%) in mixed solutions of Na2CO3 and Li2CO3, the results showing that the presence of Li+ in solution improves the passivation of aluminium, but only above a critical concentration of carbonates. The presence of chlorides in those solutions above a certain level is deleterious for the passivation films, since it leads to localized attack. This process seems to be related to the easy formation of lithium chloride containing species, which promote local film dissolution. |
