CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES

THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM IN PHASE I ARE TO DEVELOP CORROSION DATA ON A SERIES OF SIC/AL AND GR/AL METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES. SINCE THESE MATERIALS SHOW SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL FOR USE IN NAVAL APPLICATIONS, THEIR CORROSION RESISTANCE WILL BE EVALUATED IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF MARINE EXPOSURES. DATA FROM LONGTERM EXPOSURES, SHORT-TERM ACCELERATED ELECTROCHEMICAL TESTS, AND METALLURGICAL EXAMINATIONS AND SEM/EDXA ANALYSIS OF THE SURFACES, INTERFACES, AND CORROSION PRODUCTS WILL BE DEVELOPED. THIS INFORMATION SHOULD PROVIDE EXPLANATIONS FOR THE MECHANISMS OF CORROSION IN COMPOSITE MATERIALS, WHICH MAY BE USED FOR IMPROVING FABRICATION PROCEDURES, FOR DEVELOPING NEWER OR EXISTING MATERIALS WHICH ADEQUATE CORROSION PROTECTION, AND FOR RECOMMENDING MATERIALS FOR USE IN ACTUAL SERVICE APPLICATIONS.