RESUMEN
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 (RP). Rp exhibited an additional increase by adding 12% WC to the matrix. The values of RP were observed to increase for the AA5083 composite when adding 6% BN, and the highest RP 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.
RESUMEN
In this study, AA5083-WC composites were developed by ball milling followed by hot consolidation. The microstructures of the developed composites were investigated using XRD, SEM, EDX, and EBSD. The developed composites exhibited a homogeneous dispersion of WC particulates in the AA5083 matrix without any interactions at the matrix/reinforcement interface. The results confirmed the development of a refined equiaxed grain structure of AA5083-WC composites where the EBSD results revealed an average grain size of 4.38 µm and 3.32 µm for AA5083-6%WC (AW-6) and AA5083-12%WC (AW-12) composites, respectively. The results showed that incorporating WC particulates in the AA5083 alloy matrix significantly improved the compressive stress-strain behaviour and considerably enhanced the resistance to wear and friction. The AA5083-12%WC (AW-12) composite displayed the maximum strength and the highest resistance to wear and friction, whereas the as-milled AA5083 alloy (AW-0) exhibited the lowest strength and the least resistance to wear and friction. The AA5083-12%WC (AW-12) composite exhibited the optimum mechanical and tribological behaviour of the developed composites, making it a promising candidate for tribological applications.