Corrosion resistance enhancement by laser and reduced graphene oxide-based nano-silver for 1050 aluminum alloy

Abstract

This paper describes a new approach for enhancing the pitting corrosion resistance of aluminum 1050 alloy. The aluminum surface was treated by pulsed laser (850 mJ) prior to anodization. Anodization was carried out at 15 V in a hybrid electrolyte saturated with reduced graphene nanocomposite (rGO-Ag). The oxide layer was analyzed using polarization and cyclic voltammetry tests. The microstructure and metal composition of the modified surface structure were investigated using a scanning electron microscope and an energy-dispersive detector. The addition of graphene nanocomposite to the electrolyte can enhance the current density (Icorr) to 96.60 µA/cm2 and corrosion potential (Ecorr) to −395.4 mV. Q-switched Nd:YAG pulsed laser surface treatment offered a substantially increase in the corrosion resistance. Laser performance results indicated a substantial difference in the protection of aluminum surface compared with that of the untreated sample. The process employed in this research aimed at improving the pitting corrosion resistance and enhancing the chemical reaction resistance of the aluminum oxide layer in artificial seawater environment.