Effects of temperature and reinforcement content on corrosion characteristics of LM13/albite composites

Abstract

This paper reports a study of the corrosion characteristics of LM13/albite metal matrix composites in 1 M HCI solution as a function of temperature and percentage of reinforcement. The percentage of reinforcement was varied from 2 to 6 wt.% in steps of 2% and the composites were prepared by the liquid metallurgy technique. The weight loss method was used to determine corrosion rate. Corrosion tests were performed at 20°C, 40°C, 60°C and 80°C. The durations of the tests ranged from 24 to 96 h in the steps of 24 h. Both the unreinforced matrix alloy and the composites were subjected to identical test conditions to study the influence of the reinforcement and temperature on LM 13 alloy corrosion behaviour. The corrosion rates of both the unreinforced matrix alloy and the composites decreased with the exposure time. The composites were found to be less corrosion resistant than the unreinforced matrix alloy. The corrosion rates of both the unreinforced matrix alloy and the composites increased linearly with temperature. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the corroded surface of the specimens. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.