CORROSION OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURED ALSI10MG ALLOY UNDER RADIATION FIELDS

Aluminum alloys are widely used as a structural material in the nuclear industry, especially in water-cooled research reactors, due to the combination of low neutron capture cross-section and good compatibility with aqueous environments. Additive manufacturing (AM) of metals is an innovative and fast growing technology, which is expected to revolutionize the manufacturing industry in the near future. Introducing a new technology like AM to the nuclear industry requires rigorous quality assurance and approval standards.

The aim of the present work is to bridge over the gap between the innovative AM technology and the conservative nuclear industry. Corrosion aspects of AM aluminum in aqueous environment are studied, with special emphasis on the effect of ionizing radiation (gamma radiation in a ⁶⁰Co source) on the corrosion resistance of AlSi10Mg parts produced by Selective Laser Melting (SLM) method.

We present the effect of irradiation on the electrochemical properties of the oxide layers formed on AlSi10Mg grown in water, and the corrosion resistance afforded by the oxide film to the underlying metal.