Corrosion performance of AA7178 aluminum alloy reinforced with SiC nanoparticles

The corrosion performance of AA7178-SiC nanocomposites (0, 1, 2, and 3 wt%) formed by stir casting was investigated in chloride media using electroanalytical methods such as potentiodynamic polarization and Impedance measurements. SEM and EDX analyses were performed to determine the influence of silicon carbide on composite corroded surface. Studies using polarization and impedance spectroscopy show that composites have better corrosion resistance than the base alloy matrix. The good bond integrity of SiC particle with aluminium is responsible for the observed enhancement in corrosion resistance of SiC particulate reinforced nanocomposites. It was discovered that the corrosion resistance of the AA7178 alloy was improved by adding 3 wt% of SiC.