Role of YSZ Particles on Microstructural, Wear, and Corrosion Behavior of Al-15%Mg<sub>2</sub>Si Hybrid Composite for Marine Applications

This study aims to investigate the microstructural alterations, mechanical properties, sliding wear behavior, and corrosion properties of Al-15%Mg<sub>2</sub>Si composites with different contents of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). Al-15%Mg<sub>2</sub>Si composites with the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hamidreza Ghandvar, Mostafa Abbas Jabbar, Michal Petrů, Tuty Asma Abu Bakar, Lim Jia Ler, Seyed Saeid Rahimian Koloor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-05-01
Series:Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/5/1050
Description
Summary:This study aims to investigate the microstructural alterations, mechanical properties, sliding wear behavior, and corrosion properties of Al-15%Mg<sub>2</sub>Si composites with different contents of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). Al-15%Mg<sub>2</sub>Si composites with the different contents of YSZ (0, 3, 6, and 9 wt.%) were fabricated using the stir-casting technique. The fabricated composites were characterized by means of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Vickers hardness tester, linear reciprocating tribometer (LRT), and electrochemical test. The results showed that with the introduction of YSZ particles, the average size of the primary Mg<sub>2</sub>Si particles in the base composite was 137.78 µm, which was reduced to 88.36 µm after adding 9 wt.% YSZ. The aspect ratio of Mg<sub>2</sub>Si particles also decreased from 3, for the base composite, to 1.27 in the composite containing 9 wt.% YSZ. Moreover, the hardness value displays an incremental trend from 102.72 HV, as recorded for the base in situ composite, to 126.44 HV in the composite with 9 wt.% YSZ. On top of that, the Al-15%Mg<sub>2</sub>Si-9%YSZ demonstrates exceptional wear resistance, with the lowest wear rate of 0.46 mm<sup>3</sup>/km under a 25 N applied load. Its average coefficient of friction (COF) was recorded at 0.42, which is lower than both the 3 and 6 wt.% of YSZ-containing composites. The smoother worn surface in Al-15%Mg<sub>2</sub>Si-9%YSZ hybrid composite implies the abrasion phenomenon, as dominant wear behavior is milder than the other fabricated composites. On top of that, the Al-15%Mg<sub>2</sub>Si-9%YSZ also possesses optimum corrosion resistance. The corrosion rate is 0.080 mmpy, comparable to the 0.164 mmpy rate obtained in the in situ composite.
ISSN:2077-1312