Revealing corrosion behavior of B4C/pure Al composite at different interfaces between B4C particles and Al matrix in NaCl electrolyte

In the present work, the corrosion behavior of the B4C/pure Al composite in a Cl− containing environment is investigated. Thereby, the B4C/pure Al composites have been subjected to the different heat treatments to highlight the impact of the corrosion behavior at the different interfaces. The results of current sensing atomic force microscope (CSAFM) and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPFM) show that the dissolution of the Al matrix is relevant to the micro-galvanic corrosion between anodic Al matrix and cathodic B4C particles. The as quenched (AQ) composites with a higher volta potential difference (VPD) show inferior anticorrosion property than that of the as produced (AP) composites and the as annealed (AA) composites. By combining X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and geometric phase analysis (GPA), the higher residual stress and obvious interfacial strain between the B4C particles and the Al matrix of the AP samples is detected, which result in increasing the driving force of micro-galvanic corrosion.