A study of the effects of biocorrosion damage on mechanical properties of aluminum alloys AMG6 and 1570C in the context of operating conditions on the Russian segment of the ISS

The paper reviews the results of accelerated biocorrosion tests on samples of two aluminum alloys used in the construction of manned space vehicles involving the use of decomposer fungi that had been extracted from surfaces on the ISS Russian Segment. Decomposer fungi growing on structural surfaces inflict on them biocorrosion damage. The paper presents the procedure for experimental studies on samples of aluminum alloys Amg6 and 1570C with biocorrosion damage, which allows evaluating potential risks that occur or may occur in off-nominal situations, and the new results of mechanical stress and cycle fatigue tests on these alloys. The level of samples biocorrosion damage was also evaluated using various methods, including those that use an optical microscope, scanning laser microscopy, metallographic studies, scanning electron microscopy and imaging with an X-ray tomography scanner.