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Nanocrystalline supersaturated Al-V alloys produced by high-energy ball milling have been reported to exhibit enhanced corrosion resistance and mechanical properties compared to commercial Al alloys. Corrosion of passive alloys such as Al-V alloy relies on the characteristics of the surface film, which is studied using scanning/transmission electron microscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. The effect of microstructure and composition on the surface film has been investigated after different immersion periods (30 min, 2 h, and 1 day) in 0.1 M NaCl. The surface film was complex and composed of oxidized Al and V. The heterogeneous surface film was observed due to the presence of secondary phases and initiation of localized corrosion. The void formation was observed beneath the surface film that would potentially cause pitting corrosion. The generation of nano-sized voids was dependent on grain orientation. Compared to pure Al, the chloride penetration is suppressed in Al-V alloys. The effect of composition and microstructure on surface film formation and attendant corrosion behavior is discussed herein.

Supersaturated solid solutions of Al and corrosion-resistant alloying elements (M: V, Mo, Cr, Ti, Nb), produced by non-equilibrium processing techniques, have been reported to exhibit high corrosion resistance and strength. The corrosion mechanism for such improved corrosion performance has not been well understood. We present a fundamental understanding of the role of V in corrosion of an Al-V alloy, which will provide a theoretical background for developing corrosion-resistant Al alloys. High-energy ball milling of the elemental powder of Al and V produced an in situ consolidated Al-V alloy, which exhibited high solid solubility of V. The corrosion resistance of Al-V alloy was significantly higher than that of pure Al, which was attributed to the (1) enrichment of V at the passive film/substrate interface, (2) incorporation of V into the passive film, and (3) deposition of V on the iron-containing cathodic particles and therefore, retardation of cathodic reaction.