Corrosion of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites (CF-AMCs)

Abstract

The first objective of this research is to study the atmospheric corrosion behavior of continuous reinforced aluminum matrix composites (CF-AMCs). The materials used for this research were alumina (Al2O3) and nickel (Ni) coated carbon (C) fibers reinforced AMCs. The major focus is to identify the correlation between atmospheric parameters and the corrosion rates of CF-AMCs in the multitude of microclimates and environments in Hawaiʻi. The micro-structures of CF-AMCs were obtained to correlate the microstructures with their corrosion performances. Also electrochemical polarization experiments were conducted in the laboratory to explain the corrosion mechanism of CFAMCs. In addition, CF-AMCs were exposed to seven different test sites for three exposure periods. The various climatic conditions like temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), rainfall (RF), time of wetness (TOW), chloride (Cl-) and sulfate (SO42-) deposition rate, and pH were monitored for three exposure period. Likewise, mass losses of CFAMCs at each test site for three exposure periods were determined. Based on the mass loss data of Al2O3 based CF-AMCs and the monoliths showed maximum corrosion at volcanic test site when compared to any other test site. Due to the small volume fraction of intermetallic phases, the corrosion was anodically controlled. And hence the maximum anodic dissolution was found at volcanic test site (high SO2 and acid rain). The second objective of this thesis is to study the effect localized deformation on the corrosion of CF-AMCs. Corrosion initiation on Al (2 wt% Cu)/Al2O3/60f (60% fiber), Al 6061/Al2O3/60f, and Al/Al2O3/60f CF-AMCs was studied in an aqueous environment The CF-AMCs and their monolithic alloys were deformed locally using a 1/16" diameter silicon nitride ball and 15-60 Kg load in a Rockwell hardness testing machine. Corrosion initiated at the deformed sites, and after longer exposures, spread over the entire region. Localized mechanical deformation resulted in micro-crevice formations at the fiber matrix interface. When deformed material is exposed to a corrosive solution, the crevices at the fiber matrix interface likely increased the hydrogen ion concentration lowering the pH at those regions, a process that leads to premature corrosion. The copper (Cu) rich CF-AMCs in aqueous solution resulted in dissolution of Cu rich phase and their subsequent deposition and redistribution as Cu over the deformed CF-AMCs surface. The corrosion rates of deformed CF-AMCs were higher than the non-deformed CF-AMCs.