Covenant Journal of Engineering Technology (CJET) Vol.4 No.1, June 2020 ISSN: p. 2682-5317 e. 2682-5325 DOI: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx An Open Access Journal Available Online Characteristics of Al-Alloy/Seashell (SESB) Composites in Acidic and Alkaline Environments Sulaiman Abdulkareem 1 , Jacob O. Aweda 1 , Maruf Y. Kolawole 2 , Segun E. Ibitoye 1 , Tobi S. Akintunde 1 & Mustapha O. Mohammed 1 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, P.M.B. 1515, University of Ilorin-Nigeria 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, P.M.B. 1530, Kwara State University Malete-Nigeria ibitoyeesegun@gmail.com Received: 06.09.2019 Accepted: 01.05.2020 Date of Publication: June, 2020 Abstract: The corrosion behaviour of Al-alloy/Seashell (SeSh) composites in the acidic and alkaline environment was investigated in this study. Fifteen Aluminum alloy composites samples were produced using stir casting technology by varying the amount of reinforcement (1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5 wt%) and particle size (100, 150, 200 μm) of milled SeSh in the Aluminium alloy matrix. The corrosion rate was determined using a weight loss technique after 18 days of immersion at an interval of 72 hours. It was observed that 6.0 wt% of the 100 μm reinforced Aluminium alloy had the best corrosion resistance in acidic and alkaline environments. In general, the reinforced Al-alloy had better corrosion resistance when compared with the unreinforced samples. Analyses of the results show that aluminum alloy seashell composites exhibited better resistance to corrosion in the alkaline environment than the acidic environment. Keywords: Aluminium Alloy; Composites; Corrosion Resistance; Metal Matrix; Seashell 1. Introduction Wear and tear as machine components ages could result in a breakdown, and these might be as a result of the environment in which the machines are being operated [1]. Failure can occur from the vibration of a machine components, improper lubrication, high operating temperature, and corrosion of machine components, which might eventually lead to total replacement of the parts. Due to several factors such as longer shipping time, cost of purchase, and 16