Various alloys are being considered for drop-in replacement and refurbishment of corrosion and stress corrosion cracking prone AA7075-T6 (UNS A97075) components on aging military aircraft. This project evaluates three candidate aluminum alloys that meet mechanical property requirements and are thought to be superior to AA7075-T6 in terms of corrosion performance. The three alloys tested include AA7150-T7751 (UNS A97150), AA7249-T76511, and AA7040-T7651. Environmentally assisted crack growth rates for these alloys were documented and compared to those of AA7075-T6 and AA7075-T73 in various bulk aqueous chloride environments. A study was also performed to elucidate the mechanistic importance of critical crack tip chemistries on the stress corrosion cracking behavior of these 7XXX series alloys.
Keywords: aluminum alloys, aging aircraft, stress corrosion cracking, crack tip chemistry