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Composites have played a key role in revolutionizing the automobile, marine, and aerospace industries. There is a constant attempt for the development of low‐density composite materials with superior mechanical and corrosion‐resistant properties for elevated temperature applications. Herein, an attempt is made to develop a nature‐inspired unique aluminum‐based composite with low‐density polymer (polyethylene terephthalate, i.e., soft material) reinforcement, which shows an enhancement in strength and toughness. The composite is processed using the easily scalable and simple friction stir processing technique. Mechanical properties of the uniformly reinforced aluminum composite show double ultimate strength and fivefold improvement in plasticity. The ultimate strength of the composite increases at elevated temperatures. The experimental observations are further supported by theoretical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations.

The study focuses on the effect of mono and combined addition of metallic and ceramic reinforcement particles on the microstructural and corrosion behavior of surface composites fabricated by friction stir processing. Molybdenum, possessing higher corrosion resistance compared to aluminum, is used as the metallic reinforcement, and boron carbide is used as ceramic reinforcement. Combined addition of boron carbide and molybdenum is used to study the effect of hybrid reinforcement on the corrosion behavior of Al 1050 surface composites. The effect of friction stir processing and reinforcement type on the electrochemical behavior of surface composites is analyzed through potentiodynamic polarization and impedance analysis. Reinforcement particles distributed on the Al matrix through friction stir processing affect the pitting corrosion behavior of surface composites. Post-corrosion microscopy analysis is carried out to understand the effect of the reinforcement particles on the pitting corrosion. The surface composites fabricated are free from any intermetallics. Surface composites with second processing pass showed better corrosion resistance due to more homogeneously distributed finer Mo particles in Al-Mo surface composites. Mono-reinforced surface composites exhibited an increase in the corrosion resistance, whereas the combined addition of reinforcements induced more galvanic effect in the surface composite leading to more severe corrosion.

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