Localized corrosion of laser surface melted 2024-T351 aluminium alloy

Laser surface melting of 2024-T351 aluminium alloy with a CO2 laser operating at 2 kW with a spot size of 1.5 mm and a substrate traverse rate of 20 mm s−1 produced a relatively thin surface-melted layer with a refined microstructure and a modified distribution of the alloying elements. The laser treatment changed both the anodic polarization behaviour and the form of localized corrosion in deaerated 3% NaCl solution. Immersion tests in the same...