Improved corrosion response of squeeze-cast SiC nanoparticles reinforced AZ91-2.0Ca-0.3Sb alloy

The present work investigates the effect of SiC nanoparticle additions on corrosion response of the squeeze-cast AZ91 + 2.0Ca + 0.3Sb (wt.%) alloy subjected to immersion, hydrogen evolution, and potentiodynamic polarization scan in a 0.1 M NaCl solution. All the AZ91 + 2.0Ca + 0.3Sb + xSiC(np) (x = 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 (wt.%)) nano composites demonstrate a superior corrosion resistance than the alloy, and the nanocomposite reinforced with 2.0SiC(np) exhibits the highest corrosion resistance. The improved corrosion performance of the nanocomposites is attributed to the decrease in the potential difference between alpha-Mg and beta-Mg17Al12 phases, reduced quantity of beta-Mg17Al12 phase, and an increased amount of Al2Ca phase following SiC nanoparticles additions.