Tribocorrosion Characteristics of Hard Anodized Al Alloys on Hydrogen Valve Application for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

Abstract

In this study, the electrochemical and mechanical characteristics of 6061‐T6 aluminum alloy and hard anodized specimens were investigated after tribocorrosion experiments with rotational speed in dry, distilled water and sulfuric acid solution. The tribocorrosion experiments indicated that the corrosion potential of aluminum alloys and hard anodized specimens decreased with the initiation of friction/wear. In particular, the increase in the wear track width of an aluminum alloy and the exposure of the base material by completely destroying the anodized layers of the hard anodized specimens dramatically decreased the corrosion potential. Compared to the dry conditions, both the width and depth of damage in the distilled water and sulfuric acid solution increased dramatically. However, damage in the distilled water and sulfuric acid solutions did not present a significant difference. The results are attributed to the fact that the presence of fluid has a greater impact on damage degree in a material than corrosion. In particular, the brittleness and porosity of a hard anodized layer facilitates the impingement and penetration of fluid, making it relatively easy to generate and propagate cracks. These cracks accelerate the degradation and damage to the material by synergistic effects of wear and corrosion.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.