Effect of Al addition on mechanical and corrosion behavior of B10 alloy

The effects of different Al contents (0, 1, 3, and 5 wt.%) on the mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of Cu-10Ni-x Al alloy were studied by tensile test, immersion test and electrochemical test. The results demonstrate that a certain Al addition can effectively enhance the mechanical properties of the Cu-10Ni alloy without sacrificing corrosion resistance. That is, Cu-10Ni-1 Al alloy exhibits the best comprehensive properties after thermo-mechanical treatment. The tensile strength is 658 MPa, the elongation is 15.45%, and the corrosion current density is 5.41 μA/cm 2 . Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results show that the Ni 3 Al phase precipitated during the aging process inhibits the recrystallization behavior of the alloy. Therefore, the strength of Cu-10Ni alloy increases as increase Al content, due to solid solution strengthening, deformation strengthening, and precipitation strengthening. However, the formation of micro-galvanic corrosion between the Ni 3 Al precipitates and the matrix reduces the corrosion resistance of the alloy.