Corrosion resistance of selective laser melted Ti–6Al–4V alloy in salt fog environment
Kaitlyn Bower, S. Murray, Andrew Reinhart, Andy Nieto
Abstract
In this study the corrosion resistance of an additively manufactured (AM) titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4V (Ti64) in a simulated marine environment was investigated. Selective laser melting (SLM) process was used to fabricate Ti64 coupons that were tested in a simulated marine environment using a salt fog chamber. The corroded specimens were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The AM printed Ti64 was determined to form a protective oxide layer that develops after approximately 400 h of exposure in a salt fog chamber, after which mass change plateaued. The protective oxide formed was determined to be a mixed oxide primarily consisting of TiO2and Al2O3.