Corrosion of aluminum alloy 7075 induced by marine Aspergillus terreus with continued organic carbon starvation

Abstract The corrosion of aluminum alloys (AA) caused by fungi has been considered as the typical reason causing the failure of aviation materials, but its corrosion mechanism is still unclear. In this work, AA 7075 corrosion induced by Fungus Aspergillus terreus with continued organic carbon starvation was investigated in artificial seawater. Results indicate that A. terreus can survive with organic carbon starvation and form a biofilm on AA surface, then accelerate AA corrosion. The pitting corrosion is more severe in biotic environments, and it is closely related to the initial spore concentration. The higher initial spore concentration, the more A. terreus survivors, leading to the more severe pitting corrosion. Acid corrosion caused by organic acids of A. terreus has no contribution to the corrosion acceleration of aluminum alloys. A. terreus can help to destroy the passive film of aluminum alloys, leading to more corrosion pits compared with the control.