ENHANCING THE CORROSION RESISTANCE OF Al-Zn-Mg-Cu ALUMINUM ALLOYS THROUGH MODIFICATION WITH TITANIUM CARBIDE POWDER

Improving the characteristics of industrial alloys, particularly their corrosion resistance, is a relevant task for both metallurgists and materials science specialists. The implementation of new technologies and the selection of materials for specific operating conditions stimulate the development of technological methods for altering the characteristics of base alloys. The investigation and application of new effective modifiers and modification technologies represent an important research direction. Under certain operating conditions, aluminum alloys, particularly the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu system, are subjected to significant corrosive influences, which negatively affect their mechanical properties and longevity. Therefore, the challenge lies in the necessity to develop new approaches and technologies. Specifically, this study proposes a method for modifying the alloys using titanium carbide powder and investigates the effect of this modification on the corrosion resistance of the studied alloy. The aim of the work is to establish the relationship between the structure, physical-mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. To achieve this goal, modification of alloys V93 and V95 with titanium carbide powder was carried out, and the microstructures and corrosion resistance before and after modification were studied. Corrosion tests, including laboratory methods, encompassed the determination of general, intergranular, and corrosion cracking, which allowed for the assessment of the effectiveness of the proposed modification method. The results obtained confirmed the effectiveness of modifying the studied alloys with titanium carbide of 15 µm particle size. Observations of corrosion processes indicated a reduction in overall corrosion, with the area of corrosion sites decreasing from 70% to 50% after modification. There was also a significant reduction in intergranular corrosion in alloy V95, indicating an improvement in its corrosion resistance. In both modified alloys, intergranular corrosion was not observed, and corrosion cracking of the base metal was absent during the 60-day test period. The test results indicate an increase in corrosion resistance after modification.