Project B2: Environmental Performance
Project Leaders: Professor Andrej Atrens & Dr Nick Birbilis
Theme A: Design and development of corrosion resistant light alloys
Explore and develop new alloy systems based on Mg and Al that exhibit superior corrosion resistance. This will include studying and optimizing the microstructure-corrosion relationship and elucidating the factors that dictate localized corrosion initiation for (Mg and Al based) light alloys; allowing for rational alloy design to follow.
1)	Design Mg alloys which exhibit corrosion resistance approaching that of Al alloys (icorr<5μA/cm2).
2)	Design Al alloys with superior resistance to localised corrosion (corrosion pit density of alloys to ≤ corrosion pit density of pure Al).
3)	Design 7000 series Al alloys with superior resistance to intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking (better performance than that afforded by conventional T7 heat treatments) without significant strength loss.
Theme B: Automotive Mg alloys
Address the lack of the basic scientific understanding of the factors controlling Mg corrosion in intermittent salt spray as applicable to auto applications and to develop a methodology of predicting galvanic corrosion applicable to auto service of Mg coupled to steel.
1)	Develop and implement a methodology of predicting galvanic corrosion applicable to auto service of Mg coupled to steel (to include a combination of model development and empirical data).
2)	Establish the scientific understanding of the factors controlling Mg corrosion in intermittent salt spray as applicable specifically to auto applications.
3)	Understand the factors controlling stress corrosion cracking in Mg alloys.