CORROSION AND PROTECTION OF ALUMINUM ALLOYS UNDERGROUND

CORROSION TESTS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT ON WROUGHT AND CAST ALUMINIUM ALLOYS BURIED IN SIX DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOIL: SALT MARSH, CINDERS, ACID PEAT, LONDON CLAY, SAND, AND CHALK. THE OBJECT WAS TO COMPARE THE CORROSION-RESISTANCE OF ALUMINIUM ALLOYS LIKELY TO BE USED UNDERGROUND, AND ALSO TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF HOT-DIPPED BITUMEN COATINGS THAT COULD BE APPLIED IN THE FIELD. THREE SETS OF TRIPLICATE SPECIMENS WERE BURIED AT EACH SITE, ONE SET BEING DUG UP AFTER 2 YEARS, ONE AFTER 5, AND ONE AFTER 10. ALL THE MATERIALS SUFFERED VERY SEVERE CORROSION IN CINDERS. CORROSION WAS ALSO SEVERE IN ACID PEAT, BUT AT THE OTHER FOUR SITES THE ATTACK ON ALUMINIUM SIB WAS SUFFICIENTLY SMALL FOR IT TO BE USED UNPROTECTED FOR MANY PURPOSES. PITTING IN ALUMINIUM- MANGANESE NS3 AND ALUMINIUM-MAGNESIUM NS5 WAS SHALLOWER THAN IN ALUMINIUM SIB, BUT ALUMINIUM-MANGANESE NS3 UNDERWENT PENETRATIVE CORROSION IN THE ROLLING DIRECTION, BENEATH THE SURFACE. THE CLADDING ON ALUMINIUM-COPPER-MAGNESIUM HC15 GAVE NO PROTECTION IN CINDERS, BUT IN WET SALT MARSH, CLAY, AND PEAT IT AFFORDED PROTECTION FOR BETWEEN 5 AND 10 YEARS. ALUMINIUM-SILICON LM6 PROVED PREFERABLE TO ALUMINIUM- SILICON-COPPER LM4 AND PROBABLY ALSO TO ALUMINIUM-MAGNESIUM LM5, PARTICULARLY AS IT DID NOT SUFFER INTERDENDRITIC CORROSION. A SIMPLE HOT-APPLIED BITUMEN COATING, 0.02 IN. THICK GAVE COMPLETE PROTECTION TO ALUMINIUM SIB IN ALL THE SOILS EXCEPT CINDERS. IN CINDERS, ONLY THE HEAVIEST COATING APPLIED BY HOT DIPPING (0.12 IN. THICK) WAS EFFECTIVE. /AUTHOR/

• Corporate Authors:

  N/A

  ,   United States 
• Authors:
  • CAMPBELL, H S
• Publication Date: 1964

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Journal of the Institute of Metals
  • Publisher: N/A

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alloys; Alternatives analysis; Aluminum alloys; Bitumen; Chalks; Cladding; Clay; Coatings; Copper alloys; Corrosion; Corrosion resistance; Corrosion tests; Economic efficiency; Magnesium alloys; Manganese; Marshes; Peat soils; Pitting; Protection; Sand; Silicon alloys; Slag; Time; Underground structures
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• Old TRIS Terms: Cast aluminum alloys; Manganese alloys; Underground corrosion; Wrought aluminum alloys
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Economics; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00216445
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Vol 93
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 21 2003 12:00AM