Modeling sensitization of Al-Mg alloys via β-phase precipitation kinetics

Sensitization of marine grade Al-Mg alloys originates from grain boundary precipitation of the intermetallic β-phase and is typically assessed by destructive nitric acid mass loss testing (NAMLT). This paper presents a simple model based upon β-phase precipitation kinetics that can predict the NAMLT values of Al-Mg alloys as a function of isothermal aging temperature and time, directly relating β-phase grain boundary coverage to industry standards and providing a pathway for non-destructive sensitization measurement.