Corrosion and mechanical properties of Al/Al₂O₃ composites fabricated via accumulative roll bonding process: Experimental and numerical simulation

Abstract

With the advancement of science and technology and the construction of metal-based composites (MMC), it became possible to achieve improved properties that were not easily available in an alloy. In fact, with the emergence of such technology, manufacturers were able to adjust the resulting materials according to their needs in such a way as to provide mechanical strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, or other desired properties. These composites were used in various aerospace, automotive, construction, and production industries. Aluminum-based composites are among the structures that have taken an important place in the industry due to their lightweight and high strength. The present study produced bi-alloy aluminum-based 1060/5083 composites fabricated with alumina particles with a Hot ARBp at T = 380 degrees C. Also, the effect of rolling steps on the roll bonding mechanism is investigated using numerical simulation. As the novelty of this study and for the first time, a bi-alloy 1050/5083 composites reinforced Al2O3 particles via ARB process have been produced and then, potential dynamic polarization in 3.5 Wt% NaCl solution was used to study the corrosion properties of these composites. The corrosion behavior of these samples was compared and studied with that of the annealed aluminum. The study aimed to investigate the bonding behavior between the bi-alloy layers. So, as a result of enhancing influence on the number of ARBp, this experimental investigation revealed a significant enhancement in the main electrochemical parameters and the inert character of the Alumina particles. Reducing the active zones of the material surfaces could delay the corrosion process. Results showed that the corrosion resistance of the sample fabricated after six steps improved more than 100 % in comparison with the initial annealed Al alloy. Also, the average peeling force improved from 45 N to 94 N for the sample fabricated with six steps. Moreover, at a higher number of steps, the corrosion of MMC improved. Moreover, increasing the number of ARB steps illustrated an improvement in the wear resistance of samples. Finally, the samples' bonding interface, corrosion surface, and peeled surface were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).