Effect of homogenization on the corrosion behavior of 5083-H321 aluminum alloy

• Effect of homogenization on corrosion behavior of 5083 aluminum plates was studied.
• Large and fine grains in the core and perimeter reduced intergranular corrosion.
• Dense deformation-induced distribution of Al(Mn,Fe) phases increased pit corrosion.
• Directly processed unhomogenized samples improved the overall corrosion resistance.

The effect of homogenization on the corrosion behavior of 5083-H321 aluminum plates was studied. The intergranular corrosion, exfoliation corrosion, and electrochemical polarization, which are used to characterize the corrosion behavior of 5083-H321 aluminum alloy, were investigated. The results indicated that the samples that were not homogenized show superior corrosion resistance than the homogenized samples. The effects of the grain boundary character distribution, grain shape, and precipitates on corrosion are discussed on the basis of experimental observations. Omitting homogenization after casting is expected to have the optimal effect on the overall corrosion resistance of the material.