Influence of Si Content on the Microstructure and Corrosion Behavior of Additive Manufactured Al-Si Alloys

Abstract

This work evaluates the corrosion resistance of three Al-Si alloys processed by additive manufacturing (Al-Si7-Mg, Al-Si10-Mg, and Al-Si12) through a comparative analysis. It explores the influence of the silicon content on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of these alloys. An initial scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the silicon content in the samples affected the level of connectivity of the Si network, and this, consequently, influenced the formation of micro-cracks during corrosion. A model describing the evolution of the corrosion attacks and micro-cracks formation in the AM Al-Si alloys is proposed here.