Mechanical and corrosion behaviour of Al7075 alloy reinforced with SiC and cenosphere particles

Hybrid composites are novel composites that can meet the demands of cutting-edge applications. They may be utilized to meet advanced applications by maximizing weight reduction by reducing adhesive film weight and performance through increased characteristics. The mechanical and corrosion study of Al 7075 hybrid metal matrix composites reinforced with weight percentage (wt.%) of silicon carbide 2, 4, 6, and 8 and 5 wt.% of cenosphere is studied in this work. Composites prepared by the liquid metallurgy route were studied at room temperature to estimate seawater's hardness, tensile strength, and corrosion rate for various silicon carbide (SiC) inclusions using the electrochemical method. The results revealed that an Al7075 hybrid composite reinforced with 6 wt.% SiC had a higher tensile strength of 263 MPa, an increase of approximately 43 MPa (20%) over the basic alloy. The hardness of the Al7075/SiC/cenosphere composite was 128 HV with the addition of wt.% SiC reinforcement. The actual density of the Al 7075/SiC/Cenosphere composite has resulted in increased density compared to the as-cast base metal. According to polarization characteristics in natural seawater, aluminum alloy reinforced with 8 wt.% SiC demonstrated an efficiency of 58.67%, whereas electrochemical impedance measurements in natural seawater indicated 76.91%. The hybrid Al7075 composite with 8 wt.% SiC has a reduced corrosion rate in saltwater compared to pure alloy. Tafel Polarization experiments demonstrate that the hybrid metal matrix composite with 8 wt.% SiC corroded at a lower rate than the base alloy. According to the micrographs, the SiC reinforcement with the matrix alloy reduced corrosion by forming strong interfacial and intermetallic bonding.