Suitability of nickel aluminium bronze alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion to be used in the marine environment

Abstract

Nickel aluminium bronze alloy specimens were produced using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and subjected to heat treatment to understand their corrosion behaviour when exposed to a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. Electro-chemical analysis, including impedance spectroscopy and polarization curves, was performed to characterize the samples after 30 days of immersion. The findings reveal that the as-built samples exhibit superior corrosion resistance compared to the heat-treated samples, primarily attributed to the lower presence of intermetallic phases, which hinder the alloy’s passivation process.