Effect of Copper and Silicon Carbide Content on the Corrosion Resistance of Al-Mg Alloys in Acidic and Alkaline Solutions

Ahmad T. Mayyas, Mohammad M. Hamasha, Abdalla Alrashdan, Adel M. Hassan, Mohammed T. Hayajneh

Center for Autonomous Solar Power, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY 13850, USA.
Department of Automotive Engineering, Clemson University-International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), 4 Research Drive, Greenville, South Carolina 29607 USA..

DOI: 10.4236/jmmce.2012.114025                

Abstract

In this study, corrosion resistance of cast aluminum based alloys and composites reinforced with silicon carbide has been investigated. Different Al-Mg-Cu alloys and Al-4wt.%Mg-Cu/SiC composites reinforced with 5 or 10 vol.%SiC were subjected to corrosive media (acidic: 1.0M HCl and alkaline: 1.0M NaOH) using weight loss method to evaluate their corrosion resistance. The results show that introducing copper and silicon carbide have a negative effect on the corrosion resistance of monolithic aluminum; however, Al-based composites still being attractive materials to replace steel parts in automotive and aircraft industries and hence studying their corrosion resistance is of high importance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDS) were used to show the degree of attack and of acidic and alkaline solution on the surface of the investigated materials.

Keywords

Casting; Corrosion Testing; Metal Matrix Composites; Surface Engineering.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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