4. Measurement and characterization

4.1 Objectives

The corrosion behavior of aluminum alloys can be difficult to predict and quantify, depending on chemical compositions, heat treatments and corrosion media. It is therefore common to have to evaluate corrosion behavior in order to qualify a new material with respect to the one currently in use, or to select a material for defined conditions of use.

For this purpose, several types of measurements and characterizations can be chosen, which are more or less rapid and representative of reality:

• electrochemical measurements in immersed liquid media;

• immersion tests in acid and/or oxidizing saline solutions;

• tests in climatic chambers...