Electrochemical studies of copper, copper-aluminium and copper-aluminium-silver alloys: Impedance results in 0.5M NaCl

The electrochemical behaviour of Cu, Cu-Al and Cu-Al-Ag alloys in aqueous solutions of NaCl (0.5 M, pH = 3.00) was studied by means of voltammetric methods and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The surfaces were examined by SEM and EDX analysis. Cu-Al-Ag alloy shows a potentiodynamic behaviour similar to that of the pure copper electrode while the Cu-Al alloy presents some minor differences. In the active dissolution region the electrodes suffer pitting corrosion and in the other potential regions there are the formation of a passivant film with composition depending on the potential. The impedance responses of the electrodes are discussed. An electrodissolution mechanism is proposed and the effect of the alloying elements upon the impedance response and polarisation curves is explained. The main effects are due to the production of copper and silver chlorides and aluminium oxides/ hydroxides at the corroding interface. The addition of Al or (Al + Ag) increases the corrosion resistance of pure copper. © 1995.

Corrosion behaviour of aluminium syntactic functionally graded composites

Syntactic Functionally Graded Metal Matrix Composites (SFGMMC) are a type of composites reinforced by microballoons exhibiting a graded reinforcement distribution. These materials constitute a promising new generation of lightweight structural materials for aerospace, marine and shielding/insulation applications. In this work, A356 alloy reinforced with silica-alumina microballoons (SiO2-Al2O3) was processed by casting techniques. The influence of the microballoon distribution gradient on the corrosion behaviour of the composite was investigated by potentiodynamic polarisation and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Composite surfaces were analysed before and after testing by Optical Microscopy (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to determine the influence of microstructural changes.

Vacuum infiltration of copper aluminate by liquid aluminium

This paper studies attained microstructures and reactive mechanisms involved in vacuum infiltration of copper aluminate preforms with liquid aluminium. At high temperatures, under vacuum, the inherent alumina film enveloping the metal is overcome, and aluminium is expected to reduce copper aluminate, rendering alumina and copper. Under this approach, copper aluminate toils as a controlled infiltration path for aluminium, resulting in reactive wetting and infiltration of the preforms. Ceramic preforms containing a mixture of Al2O3 and CuAl2O4 were infiltrated with aluminium under distinct vacuum levels and temperatures, and the resulting reaction and infiltration behaviour is discussed. Copper aluminates stability ranges depend on vacuum level and oxygen partial pressure, which determine both CuAl2O4 and CuAlO2 ability for liquid aluminium infiltration. At 1100 °C and 0.76 atm vacuum level CuAl2O4 is stable, indicating pO2 above 0.11 atm. Reactive infiltration is achieved via reaction between aluminium and CuAl2O4; however, fast formation of an alumina film blocking liquid aluminium wicking results in incipient infiltration. At 1000 °C and 3.8 × 10−7 atm vacuum level, CuAlO2 decomposes to Cu and Al2O3 indicating a pO2 below 6.0 × 10−7 atm; infiltration of the ceramic is hindered by the non-wetting behaviour of the resulting metal alloy. At 1000 °C and 1.9 × 10−6 atm vacuum level CuAlO2 is stable, indicating pO2 above 6.0 × 10−7 atm. Extensive infiltration is achieved via redox reaction between aluminium and CuAlO2, rendering a microstructure characterised by uniform distribution of alumina particles amid an aluminium matrix. This work evidences that liquid aluminium infiltration upon copper aluminate-rich preforms is a feasible route to produce Al–matrix alumina-reinforced composites. The associated reduction reaction renders alumina, as fine particulate composite reinforcements, and copper, which dissolves in liquid aluminium contributing as a matrix strengthener.