Modeling of Galvanic Interactions between AA5083 and Steel under Atmospheric Condition
D. Mizuno, Y. Shi, and R. KellyUniversity of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA
Aluminum alloys 5000 series are widely used within the cabins of ships. These aluminum alloys are often joined via steel bolts. There is thus a concern that galvanic interactions will exacerbate corrosion of the aluminum alloys.
In this study, a model of the galvanic corrosion between aluminum alloy AA5083 and steel under atmospheric conditions was built. The Nernst-Plank equation and the extended Butler-Volmer equations were used in this model.
The potential distribution measured by Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP) under a thin electrolyte was compared with the model calculation to validate it. The model output had good agreement with the experimental data both in bulk solution and under thin electrolyte conditions.
