Statistical analysis of constituent particles in 7075-T6 aluminum alloy

Pitting corrosion is a primary degradation mechanism that affects the durability and integrity of aluminum alloy structures especially in aircraft. The heterogeneity of aluminum alloys is directly responsible for pitting corrosion because about 200 constituent particles per mm2 are on polished surfaces. Corrosion pits commence at surface particles and evolve into severe pits by sustained growth through particle clusters. Severe pits are nuclei for subsequent corrosion fatigue cracking. Thus, heterogeneous clusters of constituent particles are critical to the quality of aluminum alloys subjected to deleterious environments. Models for structural reliability including corrosion fundamentally depend on quantitative descriptions of the spatial statistics of the particles and particle clusters, including their location, size, and density. The primary purpose of this effort is to statistically estimate the distribution functions of the key geometrical properties of the constituent particles in 7075-T6 aluminum alloy and their role in pitting corrosion.