Secondary dendrite arm spacing and solute redistribution effects on the corrosion resistance of Al–10 wt% Sn and Al–20 wt% Zn alloys

In general, aluminum alloys provide the most significant part of all shaped casting manufactured. An optimum range of properties can be obtained as a function of different cooling rate processes, such as sand, plaster, investment, permanent molds and die castings. It is well known that the dendritic network affects not only the mechanical properties but also the corrosion resistance. However, the literature is scarce on reports concerning the influences of dendrite arm spacing on corrosion resistance and mechanical behavior. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of as-cast microstructure features, i.e., dendrite arm spacing and solute redistribution on the corrosion resistance of samples of aluminum alloys. In order to investigate the electrochemical behavior of solute and solvent of different aluminum systems, samples with the same order of magnitude of dendritic spacings were analyzed to permit comparison between Al–10 wt% Sn and Al–20 wt% Zn alloys. A casting water-cooled assembly promoting upward directional solidification was used in order to obtain controlled casting samples of these alloys. In order to characterize the dendritic structure, longitudinal sections from the directionally solidified specimens were analyzed by using optical and electronic microscopy techniques. The corrosion resistance was analyzed by both the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique and Tafel extrapolation method conducted in a 3% NaCl solution at room temperature. Although both systems present an Al-rich dendritic matrix, different responses to corrosive action as a function of dendritic spacing have been detected.