Corrosion Behavior of Copper-Steel Particuler Composite

Steel particle reinforced copper matrix composites were conducted to investigate its corrosion behavior, under different conditions; those were namely heat treatment, concentration of corrosion media, and different weight percent of steel particles.

The density, corrosion rate, micro-structure, and Vickers micro-hardness, were tested.

The results showed that composites with limited steel particle contents can be used. The microstructure of the composites showed severe corrosion of the steel particles especially in the low steel particle content ones, which gave an effect more or less similar to pitting corrosion. Vickers micro-hardness showed increase or decrease in hardness at different zones of the composite as an effect of cold working and annealing .Corrosion rate increased with increasing steel particle contents, but at the expense of severity of corrosion of steel particles.