Effect of plastic deformation on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of nickel-aluminum bronze

Nickel-aluminum bronze (NAB) has been widely used in ship propellers. It is always subjected to local micro-plastic deformation in service environments. This paper aims to study the influence of plastic deformation on the mechanical strength and corrosion resistance of NAB in 3.5 Wt.% NaCl solution.

Scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction were used to analyze the microstructure of NAB alloy with different plastic deformations. Mechanical properties of the sample were measured by tensile experiment, and corrosion behavior was studied by electrochemical measurements and the long-term immersion corrosion test.

Results showed that the plastic deformation caused lattice distortion but did not change the microstructure of NAB alloy. Microhardness and yield strength of NAB were significantly improved with the increase of deformation. The lattice distortion accelerated the formation of corrosion product film, which made the deformed alloy show a more positive open-circuit potential and an increased Rp. However, during the long-term immersion corrosion, the corrosion resistance of NAB alloys deteriorated with the increase of plastic deformation. This is because larger plastic deformation brought about higher internal stress in corrosion product film, which resulted in the premature peeling of the film and the loss of its protective effect on the alloy substrate.

Tensile plastic deformations were found to cause a decline in the corrosion resistance of NAB. And the mechanism was clarified from the evolution of corrosion products during the corrosion process.