Developing Improved Corrosion-Resistant AA5083-BN/WC Composites for Tribological Applications

In this study, corrosion-resistant AA5083-BN/WC composites were developed for tribological applications through adequate control of the reinforcement content (WC and BN) in the matrix (AA5083 alloy). The effects of 6% and 12% tungsten carbide (WC) as well as 6% and 12% boron nitride (BN) additions on the corrosion behavior of AA5083 aluminum composite in 3.5% NaCl solution were carried out. Electrochemical techniques such as cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP), changes in the chronoamperometric current with time (CCT), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were utilized. The polarization results showed that the addition of 6% WC to the AA5083 alloy matrix improved its resistance to corrosion (R_P). Rp exhibited an additional increase by adding 12% WC to the matrix. The values of R_P were observed to increase for the AA5083 composite when adding 6% BN, and the highest R_P values were recorded for the composite that contains 12% BN. The results obtained by the CPP method were confirmed by CCT and EIS measurements, where the presence of WC and BN protected the developed AA5083- BN/WC composites against corrosion. The corrosion resistance revealed an additional improvement with an increase in WC and BN content from 6% to 12%. The results also confirm that pitting corrosion decreased in the presence of WC and BN in the fabricated composites.