Effect of isothermal annealing on the corrosion resistance of an amorphous alloy

Abstract

This study examined the role of excess free volume on the corrosion resistance of an amorphous alloy. Corrosion behaviors were monitored on the amorphous alloys, of which amount of free volume was controlled via the isothermal annealing below the glass transition temperature, using immersion tests and potentiodynamic polarization tests in HCl aqueous solutions. It was found that the corrosion resistance of the amorphous alloy is improved by reducing the amount of excess free volume. The possible reason explaining the experimental result was discussed from the viewpoint of the internal energy associated with the annihilation of excess free volume.