Research on the corrosion behavior of the 1050A aluminum alloy under various simulated atmospheric

Purpose This paper simulates various atmospheric corrosion levels in a laboratory setting to analyze the corrosion resistance of the typical electrical conductor material, 1050A aluminum alloy. Design/methodology/approach Indoor cyclic wet–dry accelerated corrosion tests were conducted to simulate four representative atmospheric corrosion environments – rural, marine, polluted urban and industrial – by adjusting the ionic composition and concentration of the test solutions. The corrosion behavior of 1050A aluminum alloy under different corrosion conditions was systematically evaluated through corrosion weight loss measurements, corrosion morphology analysis, characterization of corrosion products and electrochemical testing. Findings The morphological analysis reveals that pitting corrosion is the dominant corrosion mode across all environments, although the severity varies significantly. The corrosion severity, from highest to lowest, follows the order: industrial polluted urban marine rural, a trend corroborated by the corrosion weight loss data. The combined analysis of corrosion products and electrochemical responses elucidates the influence of environmental ions on the corrosion mechanism of 1050A aluminum alloy under different atmospheric conditions. Originality/value This study establishes a scientific basis for ensuring the safety and reliability of power transmission and transformation network engineering.