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The movement towards extended warranties in the automobile industry has focussed attention on corrosion performance of many components, particularly cast aluminum wheels. Filiform corrosion is of particular concern since it can severely affect the appearance of the wheel. The appearance and the choice of wheel design are the most attractive features to customers. In order to enhance the filiform corrosion resistance of cast aluminum wheels, cleaning, pretreatment, coating and alloy parameters are critical and need to be optimized. In this paper, the effects of alloy composition and condition on filiform corrosion are reviewed. A series of cast discs were prepared with variations in iron, zinc and copper levels around the standard A356.2 alloy composition. Apart from composition, certain specimens were subjected to different heat treatment and ageing conditions. The effects of porosity and different machining procedures were also evaluated.

Previous work has shown that variations in wheel alloy chemistry, particularly with respect to copper and iron levels, can have a pronounced effect on filiform corrosion performance. In this study, an examination of A356.2 alloy chemistry variants and their effects on corrosion was carried out in greater detail. The emphasis was on copper and iron variants, both alone and in combination. Copper levels ranged from 0.005 to 0.22% and iron from 0.04 to 0.23%. The effect of manganese additions was also examined, with levels ranging from 0.002 to 0.07%. In addition to the alloying variants, the level of dispersed oxides in the castings was varied to determine any effects on corrosion performance. Although filiform corrosion performance of painted samples was the primary focus of this study, the corrosion behaviour of unpainted samples was also evaluated for comparison purposes.