Effect of Cu Addition on Oxide Growth of Al-7 mass%Mg Alloy at High Temperature

Effect of Cu addition on oxide growth of Al-7 mass%Mg alloy at high temperature was investigated. As-cast microstructures of Al-7 mass%Mg and Al-7 mass%Mg-1 mass%Cu alloys showed α-Al dendrites and area of secondary particles. The 1 mass%Cu addition into Al-7 mass%Mg alloy formed Mg32(Al, Cu)49 ternary phase with β-Al3Mg2. The total fraction of two Mg-containing phases in Cu-added alloy was higher than the β-Al3Mg2 fraction in Cu-free alloy. From measured weight gains depending on time at 500°C under an air atmosphere, it was shown that all samples exhibited significant weight gains depending on time. Al-7mass%Mg1mass%Cu alloy showed the relatively increased oxidation rate when compared with Cu-free alloy. All the oxidized cross-sections throughout the entire oxidation time showed coarse and dark areas regarded as oxides grown from the surface to inside, but bigger oxidized areas were formed in the Al-7mass%Mg-1mass%Cu alloy containing higher fraction of Mg-based phases in the as-cast microstructure. As a result of compositional analysis on the oxide clusters, it was found that the oxide clusters contained Mg-based oxides formed through internal oxidation during a long time exposure to oxidizing environments.