Yttrium Oxide-Reinforced A356 composites produced via mechanical alloying: Tribology and corrosion performance

This study investigates the tribological and corrosion behavior of aluminum matrix composites reinforced with Y<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> particles, synthesized via mechanical alloying. Wear tests were conducted under three different loads and sliding distances using a pin-on-disk apparatus, while corrosion resistance was evaluated through potentiodynamic polarization in a 3.5% NaCl solution. Microstructural analysis revealed a tendency of Y<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> particles to segregate along grain boundaries. Increasing the reinforcement content resulted in noticeable improvements in both hardness and density. Specifically, the composite containing 12 wt.% Y<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> exhibited 4.5% higher hardness, 9% higher density, and 28.6% lower wear rate compared to the 3 wt.% Y<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> composite. However, the corrosion rate of the 12 wt.% Y<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> composite increased by approximately 195%, indicating that the addition of Y<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>, while enhancing wear resistance, simultaneously compromises corrosion resistance. These findings highlight a distinct trade-off in composite design, emphasizing the need for optimizing reinforcement content to achieve a balanced tribological–corrosion performance. © 2025 CSIC.