Corrosion behavior of Al film on uranium in salt spray test

Abstract

The corrosion behavior of Al film coated uranium and bare uranium under neutral salt spray conditions are evaluated. Moreover, the corrosion process and electrochemical mechanism are investigated. Pits in uranium appear in the initial stage of the salt spray test, which link to each other to form a ring-like morphology along the machining trace. The corrosion product on the surface of uranium is a mixture of U₃O₈ and UO₂. After salt spray for 1.5 h and sealed reservation for 1 month, some corrosion particles spalled off from the Al film. The Al film is eroded first as the sacrificial anode upon exposure to salt spray, which exhibits its excellent protection effect for uranium.