Study of surface interactions of ionic liquids with aluminium alloys in corrosion and erosion–corrosion processes

Surface interactions of alkylimidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) with aluminium alloy Al 2011 have been studied by immersion tests in seven neat ILs [1-n-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium X (X = BF4; n = 2 (IL1), 6 (IL2), 8 (IL3). X = CF3SO3; n = 2 (IL4). X = (4-CH3C6H4SO3); n = 2 (IL5). X = PF6; n = 6 (IL6)] and 1-butyl-3-methylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (IL7)]. Immersion tests for Al 2011 have also been carried out in 1 wt.% and 5 wt.% solutions of 1-ethyl,3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (IL1) in water. No corrosion of Al 2011 by neat ILs is observed. The highest corrosion rate for Al 2011 in water is observed in the presence of a 5 wt.% IL1 due to hydrolysis of the anion with hydrogen evolution and formation of aluminium fluoride. Erosion–corrosion processes have been studied for three aluminium alloys (Al 2011, Al 6061 and Al 7075) in a 90 wt.% IL1 solution in water in the presence of a-alumina particles. The erosion–corrosion rates are around 0.2 mm/year or lower, and increase with increasing copper content to give a corrosion resistance order of Al 6061 > Al 7075 > Al 2011. Results are discussed on the basis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) determinations