Corrosion characteristics of Al‐Si‐Mg/SiCp composites with varying Si/Mg molar ratio in neutral chloride solutions

The corrosion resistance of Al‐Mg‐Si/SiC_p composites produced by the pressureless infiltration method using SiC_p preforms with 50% porosity containing rice hull ash (RHA) and four custom‐made alloys with varying Si/Mg molar ratio] was evaluated in neutral 0.1 M NaCl solutions. The deleterious phase Al₄C₃ was successfully suppressed in composites with Si/Mg molar ratios of 0.89 and 1.05, but not in those with lower Si/Mg molar ratios (0.12 and 0.49). Results of cyclic polarizations in deareated 0.1 M NaCl solutions showed that with increasing Si/Mg molar ratio, passive current density increased but pitting susceptibility decreased both for reinforced and unreinforced alloys. Immersion tests in aerated 0.1 M NaCl showed that for composites with Si/Mg molar ratios of 0.12 and 0.49 chemical degradation by hydrolysis of Al₄C₃ was followed by intense anodic dissolution at the matrix–reinforcement interface, while composites corresponding to Si/Mg molar ratios of 0.89 and 1.05 did not exhibit intense localized attack. Possible reasons for the improvement in resistance to localized corrosion are discussed.