Electrochemical Behaviors and Stress Corrosion Cracking of 5083 Aluminum Alloy

Strained electrode reactions 5083 aluminum alloy exposed to chloride solutions were studied as a function of stress, strain, electrode potential, solution pH and microstructure by means of an Instron-type tensile test machine. The results obtained are as follows : 1) There is a good correlation between the stress-corrosion susceptibility and change of natural electrode potential followed over a long time. 2) An increase in rate of anodic reaction is observed on application of plastic strain. 3) The susceptibility to stress-corrosion cracking increases remarkably with anodic polarization and decreases with cathodic polarization at slightly negative potential from the natural electrode potential. 4) The stress-corrosion cracking may be caused by anodic dissolution at grain boundaries with β precipitate.