Microstructure and Corrosion of Mg-Based Composites Produced from Custom-Made Powders of AZ31 and Ti6Al4V via Pulse Plasma Sintering

Anna Dobkowska; Mirosław Jakub Kruszewski; Jakub Ciftci; Bartosz Morończyk; Izabela Zgłobicka; Rafał Zybała; Łukasz Żrodowski

doi:10.3390/ma17071602

Microstructure and Corrosion of Mg-Based Composites Produced from Custom-Made Powders of AZ31 and Ti6Al4V via Pulse Plasma Sintering

Materials (Basel). 2024 Mar 31;17(7):1602. doi: 10.3390/ma17071602.

Authors

Anna Dobkowska¹, Mirosław Jakub Kruszewski¹, Jakub Ciftci¹, Bartosz Morończyk¹, Izabela Zgłobicka², Rafał Zybała³, Łukasz Żrodowski⁴

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, 141 Woloska St., 02-507 Warsaw, Poland.
² Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska 45C, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland.
³ Łukasiewicz Research Network, Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.
⁴ AMAZEMET Sp. z o. o. [Ltd.], Al. Jana Pawła II 27, 00-867 Warsaw, Poland.

Abstract

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys offer promise for aerospace, railway, and 3D technology applications, yet their inherent limitations, including inadequate strength, pose challenges. Magnesium matrix composites, particularly with metallic reinforcements like titanium (Ti) and its alloys, present a viable solution. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of Ti6Al4V reinforcement on AZ31 magnesium alloy composites produced using pulse plasma sintering (PPS). Results show enhanced microhardness of the materials due to improved densification and microstructural refinement. However, Ti6Al4V addition decreased corrosion resistance, leading to strong microgalvanic corrosion and substrate dissolution. Understanding these effects is crucial for designing Mg-based materials for industries like petrochemicals, where degradation-resistant materials are vital for high-pressure environments. This research provides valuable insights into developing Mg-Ti6Al4V composites with tailored properties for diverse industrial applications, highlighting the importance of considering corrosion behavior in material design. Further investigation is warranted to establish predictive correlations between Ti6Al4V content and corrosion rate for optimizing composite performance.

Keywords: AZ31 alloy; Ti6Al4V powder; corrosion; metal matrix composite; metallic reinforcement; microstructure.

Grants and funding

Results of this work were financed by internal funding at the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology and Łukasiewicz—the Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics. The results were presented at the conference partially funded by the Polish Ministry of Science (KONF/SN/0347/2023/01).