Mechanism of Stress Corrosion Cracking of Al–Li Alloys

Abstract

G.V. Akimov's concepts of the corrosion–electrochemical properties of aluminum alloys containing lithium are developed. It is found that binary Al–Li alloys are insusceptible to stress corrosion cracking, even though their dissolution rate under normal conditions can increase by up to 30 times because of the selective dissolution of lithium. The interaction of dislocations with phases formed upon heat treatments is demonstrated to play a determining role in the stress corrosion cracking of all the basic aluminum–lithium alloys, namely Al–Li, Al–Li–Cu, Al–Li–Cu–Mg, and Al–Li–Mg alloys. The stress corrosion cracking of both binary aluminum–lithium alloys and alloys which are in addition alloyed with copper and magnesium has mainly a dislocation–electrochemical mechanism. The effect of electrochemical factors is well represented by the difference in the magnitude between the pitting initiation potential and the repassivation potential.