Dynamic numerical simulation of aluminum pitting based on 3D-lattice Boltzmann method

As one of the most economical and widely applied materials, aluminum has the advantages of light weight, corrosion resistance, and good thermal and electrical conductivity. However, aluminum is prone to pitting in chloride ion environments. Taking into account the aluminum surface pitting mechanism in neutral solution and liquid flow and phase transition characteristics, this study established a three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann model to examine the pitting phenomenon on aluminum surface in neutral solution, overcoming the deficiency of traditional experimental methods. The whole aluminum pitting process was simulated by the established corrosion model, and the concentration distribution of different components and the relationship between different parameters and corrosion degree were obtained. The results show that the degree of aluminum corrosion increases with the increase of contact time. Furthermore, the higher the initial chloride ion concentration, and the higher the corrosion reaction rate is, the more severe aluminum corrosion becomes. Therefore, the three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann aluminum pitting model provides a new approach to the future numerical study of metal corrosion. © 2020, Beihang University Aerospace Knowledge Press. All right reserved.