9423294 Ziomek-Moroz This research is a one-year study to increase current understanding of the corrosion behavior of a new class of advanced materials, titanium-based intermetallics containing aluminum. The corrosion behavior of gamma titanium aluminide, alpha-two titanium aluminide, alpha-two/gamma titanium aluminide, and pure constituent metals is examined in aqueous solutions of potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, potassium hydroxide, nitric acid and sulfuric acid. Scanning and timed electrochemical experiments are performed in deaerated, non-deaerated, and oxygen-saturated solutions to determine the effects of solution aeration on corrosion behavior. Microscopic investigations are employed to characterize the surface of the corroded intermetallics. The structural information will be correlated with the observed electrochemical behavior. This is the first time such a study has been made on titanium aluminides with controlled microstructures. %%% This grant contributes to the understanding of the corrosion behavior of titanium-aluminide intermetallics with non-homogenous microstructures. Gamma titanium-aluminide alloys offer great promise for applications in the aerospace industry. A practical output of these investigations will be information applicable to the development of electrochemical machining techniques for titanium aluminide. ***
