Gamma irradiation-induced modification of B4C reinforcement for controlling microstructure and mechanical–corrosion behavior of Al/B4C composites

This study investigates gamma irradiation-induced modification of B 4 C reinforcement and its effect on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and electrochemical corrosion behavior of Al/B 4 C composites. B 4 C micropowders irradiated at 50, 100, and 150 kGy were incorporated into aluminum sheets through accumulative roll bonding. Al/G.MB50 exhibited the most favorable mechanical response, with the highest mean ultimate tensile strength among the reinforced samples and a hardness of 68.03 HV. The Al/G.MB150 composite showed the highest corrosion resistance, with a corrosion current density of 0.38 μA cm −2 , a Tafel-derived polarization resistance of 79.68 kΩ cm 2 , and a corrosion rate of 0.00419 mm.y −1 . The results show that the irradiation state of B 4 C controls the balance between mechanical strengthening and corrosion resistance in ARB-processed Al/B 4 C composites.