Analysis of Corrosion Behavior and Residual Strength of Lightweight 2060-T8 Al-Li Alloy

An improvement of residual strength after corrosion is the key to augment the tolerance to the damage of aviation components made from light-weight Al-Li alloy. In this study, the electrochemical behavior, corrosion resistance, and residual strength of 2060-T8 Al-Li alloy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution for various corrosion period durations were systematically analyzed. Corrosion pits of 174 ± 18 µm in depth were distributed on the surface of the alloy exposed to corrosive solution for 720 h. Additionally, although linearly decreasing with average corrosion pit depth, a suitable level of damage tolerance was shown by the measurement of significant residual strength. The underlying mechanism of the corrosion was understood from the description of the corrosion behavior of the 2060-T8 alloy.