Oxidation resistance and corrosion behavior of hot-dip aluminized coatings on commercial-purity titanium

Aluminizing is an effective method to protect alloys from oxidation and corrosion. In this article, the microstructure, morphology, phase composition of the aluminized layers and the oxide films were investigated by SEM, EDS and X-ray diffraction. The high temperature oxidation resistance and electrochemical behavior of hot dip aluminizing coatings on commercial-purity titanium had been studied by cyclic oxidation test and potentiodynamic polarization technique. The results show that the reaction between the titanium and the molten aluminum leads to form an aluminum coating which almost has the composition of the aluminum bath. After diffusion annealing at 950 °C for 6 h, the aluminum coating transformed into a composite layer, which was composed of an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer was identified as Ti3Al or Ti2Al phase, and the outer layer was TiAl3 and Al2O3 phase. The cyclic oxidation treatment at 1000 °C for 51 h shows that the oxidation resistance of the diffused titanium is 13 times more than the bare titanium. And the formation of TiAl3, θ-Al2O3 and compact α-Al2O3 at the outer layer was thought to account for the improvement of the oxidation resistance at high temperature. However, the corrosion resistance of the aluminized titanium and the diffused titanium were reduced in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The corrosion resistance of the aluminized titanium was only one third of bare titanium. Moreover, the corrosion resistance of the diffused titanium was far less than bare titanium.

► The inner layer is Ti3Al or Ti2Al phase and TiAl3, Al2O3 phase in the outer layer.
► The formed of TiAl3, θ-Al2O3 and compact α-Al2O3 make oxidation resistance improved.
► The oxidation resistance was improved would sacrifice its corrosion resistance.