Corrosion performance and restoration of laser-formed metallic alloy sheets

Previous studies of laser forming have been focused on understanding the laser forming mechanisms, investigating the effects of important laser process parameters on deformed shape, and modeling the forming process. Although microstructures and mechanical properties have received some attention, no work has addressed corrosion behavior of laser-formed components. However, laser forming is a thermal process with substantial thermal cycles required; sensitization of microstructures to corrosion may be anticipated. This paper investigates the corrosion performance of various laser-formed metallic alloy sheets, including AA 2024-T3, AA 7075-T6, and AA 5083-O aluminum alloys, and AISI 304 austenitic and AISI 430 ferritic stainless steels using various standard corrosion testing methods. The results showed that the laser forming process induced different degrees of sensitization within the irradiated zones and the heat-affected zones (HAZs), leading to significant intergranular corrosion attacks for most of the...