The effect of atmospheric corona treatment on AA1050 aluminium

The effect of atmospheric corona discharge on AA1050 aluminium surface was investigated using electrochemical polarization, SEM-EDX, FIB-SEM, and XPS. The corona treatment was performed with varying time (1, 5, and 15 min) in atmospheric air. A 200 nm oxide layer was generated on AA1050 after the 15 min air corona treatment. A significant reduction in anodic and cathodic reactivities was observed starting from 1 min exposure, which further decreased with prolonged exposure (15 min) and after delayed testing (after 30 days). The reduction in surface reactivity is due to the formation of thicker and denser oxide film.