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

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Corrosion Engineering
• Tribology

Background:

• AA5083 aluminum alloy is a common matrix material.
• Tribological applications require enhanced corrosion resistance.
• Tungsten carbide (WC) and boron nitride (BN) are potential reinforcements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop corrosion-resistant AA5083-BN/WC composites.
• To investigate the effect of WC and BN content on corrosion behavior.
• To evaluate composite performance in 3.5% NaCl solution.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of AA5083 composites with varying WC and BN content (6% and 12%).
• Electrochemical corrosion testing: Cyclic Potentiodynamic Polarization (CPP), Chronoamperometric Current Time (CCT), and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS).
• Analysis of corrosion resistance (Rp) and pitting corrosion.

Main Results:

• Addition of WC and BN significantly improved the corrosion resistance (Rp) of AA5083 composites.
• Corrosion resistance increased with higher WC and BN content (6% to 12%).
• WC and BN additions effectively reduced pitting corrosion in 3.5% NaCl solution.

Conclusions:

• AA5083-BN/WC composites exhibit excellent corrosion resistance for tribological applications.
• Optimized reinforcement content (12% WC and 12% BN) provides maximum corrosion protection.
• The study confirms the protective role of WC and BN against corrosion in AA5083 composites.