Effect of Annealing Heat Treatment to Characteristics of AlDC8 (Al-Si-Cu) Alloy

ALDC8 (Al-Si-Cu) alloy has been often corroded with pattern of intergranular corrosion in corrosive environments. Thus, in order to improve its corrosion resistance, the effect of annealing heat treatment to corrosion resistance and hardness was investigated with parameters of heating temperatures such as 100 ℃, 200 ℃, 300 ℃, 400 ℃ and 500 ℃ for 1hr. The hardness was varied with annealing temperature and slightly decreased with annealing heat treatment. However, the relation between annealing temperature and hardness agreed not well each other. Corrosion potential was shifted to noble direction and corrosion current density was also decreased with increasing annealing temperature. Moreover, both AC impedance at 10 mHz and polarization resistance on the cyclic voltammogram curve were also increased with increasing annealing temperature. Furthermore, intergranular corrosion was somewhat observed in non heat treatment as well as annealing temperatures at 100 ℃, 200 ℃ and 300 ℃, while, intergranular corrosion was not nearly observed at annealing temperature of 400 ℃, 500 ℃. Consequently, it is considered that the annealing heat treatment of ALDC8 alloy may be an available method not only to inhibit its intergranular corrosion but also to improve its corrosion resistance.