Study of NaCl Corrosion Behavior on SiC-Reinforced in Al 6061 and Al 5052 Metal Matrix Composites Using Taguchi’s Technique

The present research investigates the corrosion behavior of aluminum metal matrix composites (AMMCs) in NaCl solution. The test was designed and performed based on Taguchi’s L8 orthogonal array. The stir casting technique fabricates the AMMCs, and silicon carbide (SiC) is individually reinforced in Al 6061 and Al 5052 matrix. The SiC particle are reinforced in a matrix with 5% and 10% separately in Al 6061 and Al 5052. The test variables used during corrosion studies were reinforced Al matrix, wt% of SiC, molar solution, and corrosion duration for stir-casted composite samples. The Al 6061 and Al 5052 composites were tested in 1M and 2M molar NaCl solutions for 15 and 30 days exposure duration. According to ASTM G31, the solution immersion tests were carried out. The corrosion surfaces are examined by optical microscope and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) equipment. Through microstructure, it is noted that the corrosion concentration is along the grain boundaries. The measured mass loss after the corrosion experiment was statistically analyzed using Taguchi’s technique. The analysis of variance and signal-to-noise ratio is used to find the effect of test variables on the corrosion of composites. Through Taguchi’s analysis, molar concentration shows a higher impact during corrosion. As molar concentration and expose duration increase, the mass loss of the composite increase by 115%.