Evaluation of the Corrosion Rate of Aluminum 6063 in Petrol, Kerosene and Water

Abstract

The unparalleled combinations of properties of aluminum and its alloy makes aluminum one of the most versatile, economical, and attractive metallic materials for a broad range of uses. This study was carried out to evaluate the influence of kerosene, petrol and water on the corrosion performance of three samples of aluminum 6063 alloy (A and B sourced locally while sample C is an imported material). The corrosion rate was determined both by weight loss and Potentiostatics method, and the microstructure of the samples after five weeks of immersion also was examined with the aid of an optical microscope. Samples A, B and C were immersed in the media for five (5) weeks duration. The cumulative corrosion rate was measured at the end of each week. The average corrosion rates using the weight loss method for A in petrol, kerosene and distilled water were 3.100E-4, 4.905 E-4 and 6.205 E-4; for B were 4.367 E-4, 2.703 E-4 and 2.147 E-4; and those of C were 4.550 E-4, 2.257 E-4 and 1.633 E-4 respectively. Similarly, the average corrosion rate using Potentiostatics method of A in petrol, kerosene and distilled water were 0.586E-3, 0.643E-3 and 0.454E-3; for B were 0.206E-3, 0.197E-3 and 0.298E-3; and those of C were 0.183E-3, 0.232E-3 and 0.407E-3 respectively. The average result showed that Sample A had the highest corrosion rate. The media which corroded the samples the most was petrol.