Enhancement of Corrosion Resistance of Aluminum 7075 Surface through Oil Impregnation for Subsea Application

Abstract

This study investigated the corrosion resistance of oil impregnated anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) surfaces of aluminum 7075 for subsea application. Although aluminum 7075 has high strength, it is scarcely used in the subsea industry because of its corrosion issue. Some treatment of aluminum 7075 is required for subsea application. In this study not only a plate shape but also a cylindrical shape were investigated because a cylindrical shape is frequently used in the subsea industry for electronic device housing. Contact angles of bare aluminum and oil impregnated AAO surfaces of aluminum 7075 were measured after a salt spray test and a pressure test. The results showed that the contact angle of bare aluminum was considerably decreased after the salt spray test, whereas the oil impregnated AAO surface presented a relatively high contact angle after the salt spray test and the pressure test. These results showed that the corrosion resistance of aluminum 7075 could be enhanced by oil impregnation on the AAO surface, and thus can be utilized in the subsea industry.