Comparative study of microstructural influence on corrosion resistance in conventional and Al-Mn quasicrystalline cast aluminum alloys

Bajt Leban, Mirjam (author), Drevenšek, Tim (author), Kosec, Tadeja (author), Leskovar, Blaž (author), Markoli, Boštjan (author)

The investigation focused on the quasicrystalline aluminum alloy Al-Mn-Cu-Mg-Si-Ti. The influence of microstructure of aluminum alloy strengthened with quasicrystals on its corrosion resistance was studied. The properties of newly designed quasicrystalline aluminum alloy (QC) were compared to the properties of standard AlSi9Cu3 alloy (DIN 226). Both aluminum alloys (QC and AlSi9Cu3) were cast in a steel die with a controlled cooling rate. After the preparation of the samples, the microstructural characterization was carried out. In the quasicrystalline alloy, the microstructure was dominated by a primary phase with fivefold symmetry, representing the quasicrystalline phase. To investigate corrosion properties, open-circuit potential, linear polarization and potentiodynamic polarization measurements were performed. The influence of corrosion on mechanical properties was studied by conducting tensile tests on environmentally exposed alloys. It was concluded that the quasicrystalline alloy has comparable corrosion properties to the commercially widely used AlSi9Cu3 alloy. In the latter alloy, corrosion was observed to initiate in the vicinity of the Al$_2$Cu intermetallic compound particles. In the case of the QC alloy, corrosion attacked mainly the α$_{Al}$ phase (matrix).

• Language: English
• Keywords: quasicrystals, corrosion, aluminum alloys, microstructure, electrochemical measurements
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 11517–11528
• Numbering: Vol. 60, iss. 27
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178822
• UDC: 544.5/.6
• ISSN on article: 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-025-11046-7
• COBISS.SI-ID: 241070851
• Publication date in RUL: 30.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of materials science
• Shortened title: J. mater. sci.
• Publisher: Springer Nature
• ISSN: 1573-4803
• COBISS.SI-ID: 513194009

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: kvazikristali, korozija, lesno inženirstvo, aluminijeve zlitine, elektrokemijske meritve

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Funding programme: HE, EIT RawMaterials
• Project number: 21128
• Name: A novel cast ultra-high-specific strength quasicrystal aluminum alloy
• Acronym: CastQC

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0273
• Name: Gradbeni objekti in materiali