Effect of Boron and Cerium on Corrosion Resistance of Cu-Fe-P Alloy

The effects of B and Ce on the corrosion resistance of Cu-0.22Fe-0.06P alloy were investigated by salt spray and electrochemical tests. The corrosion morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The corrosion products were characterized by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis. The impurity content was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The conductivity was measured using an eddy current conductivity meter. The grains of Cu-0.22Fe-0.06P alloy were refined by the addition of B and Ce. The electrochemical corrosion process of alloy is retarded due to purification effect of B and Ce. After the addition of a trace amount of B, the corrosion resistance of the alloy decreased. The corrosion resistance of Cu-0.22Fe-0.06P-0.025B-0.05Ce was better than that of Cu-0.22Fe-0.06P-0.025B due to the fact that the purification effect of Ce is better than that of B. The main corrosion products of the Cu-Fe-P alloys in a NaCl solution are Cu 2 Cl(OH) 3 and Cu 2 O. The addition of trace amounts of B and Ce did not change the components of the corrosion product.