Preparation and performance of fluorescent sensing coating for monitoring corrosion of Al alloy 2024

A kind of fluorescent sensing coating was prepared for monitoring corrosion of aluminum alloys by incorporating phenylfluorone (PF) into acrylic paint as sensing material. The fluorescent dye PF reacts with aluminum ions on corroded aluminum substrate to occur fluorescence quenching observed in UV light. This paint system is sensitive to underlying corrosion processes through reacting with the Al³⁺ produced by anodic reaction accompanying corrosion. After a certain time, when the samples of Al alloy 2024 coated with PF-acrylic paint were immersed in 1 mol/L NaCl solution, fluorescence quenching spots can be seen with unaided eyes. With the development of corrosion process, the size of fluorescence quenching spots increases. Active corrosion areas on the sample surface were found under the fluorescence quenching spots by optical microscope. The corrosion areas can be observed more clearly by SEM, and many pits are found. This suggests that the fluorescence quenching spots are the sites of produced Al³⁺ by the anodic reaction of the local attack of the coated Al alloy substrate in the chloride solution and the corrosion process of the coated Al alloy can be monitored on-line by the sensing coating. The sensitivity of this coating system for detection of anodic reaction associated with corrosion was determined by applying constant charge current and measuring the charge, at which fluorescence quenching is detected in the coating with unaided eyes. Visual observation of coated samples can detect fluorescence change resulting from a charge corresponding to an equivalent hemispherical pit with approximate depth of 50 μm.