Corrosion–Resistance Mechanism of TC4 Titanium Alloy under Different Stress-Loading Conditions

Abstract

Titanium alloys have now become the first choice of tubing material used in the harsh oil- and gas-exploitation environment, while the interaction of force and medium is a serious threat to the safety and reliability of titanium alloy in service. In this paper, different stresses were applied to TC4 titanium alloy by four-point bending stress fixture, and the corrosion behavior of TC4 titanium alloy was studied by high-temperature and high-pressure simulation experiments and electrochemical techniques, and the microscopic morphologies and chemical composition of the surface film layer on the specimen were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), to reveal the corrosion-resistance mechanism of TC4 titanium alloy under different stress-loading conditions. The results showed that the pits appeared on the specimens loaded with elastic stress, but the degree of pitting corrosion was still lighter, and the surface film layer showed n-type semiconductor properties with cation selective permeability. While the pits on the specimens loaded with plastic stress were deeper and wider in size, and the semiconductor type of the surface film layer changed to p-type, it was easier for anions such as Cl− and CO32− to adsorb on, destroy, and pass through the protective film and then to contact with the matrix, resulting in a decrease in corrosion resistance of TC4 titanium alloy.

Low-Cycle Corrosion Fatigue Deformation Mechanism for an α+β Ti-6Al-4V-0.55Fe Alloy

“…It was reported that in an oxygen-containing or corrosive ion environment, a continuous and dense passive film can easily and rapidly form on the surface of titanium alloys, which reduces the surface-active dissolution areas and improves corrosion resistance for titanium alloys by hindering the transmission of reactive particles [6][7][8]. But in a marine environment, the huge cyclic load on the titanium alloy can inevitably damage the integrity of the passive film and result in a decrease in its corrosion resistance because chloride ions easily destroy and pass through the passive film on the surface, making contact with the matrix [9].…”