Manipulating mechanical properties of graphene/Al composites by an in-situ synthesized hybrid reinforcement strategy

The structural deterioration caused by the relatively weak out-of-plane bending stiffness and the chemically-active edge area of graphene limits its outperformance in strengthening for Al matrix composites(AMCs).Introducing one-dimensional(1D)carbon nanotubes(CNTs)to graphene/metal system is one of the promised strategies to complement the weakness of 2D graphene and make full use of the outstanding intrinsic properties of the both reinforcements.To date,such synergistic strengthening and toughening mechanisms are largely unknown.In this study,AMCs reinforced by a novel hybrid reinforcement,i.e.,graphene nanosheets decorated with Cu nanoparticles and CNTs(Cu@GNS-CNTs),are fabricated by an in-situ synthesis method.The combined contrast experiments validated that the organically integrated reinforcing structure promotes the intrinsic load bearing capacity of GNS and the strain hardening capability of the Al matrix simultaneously.As a result,the composites achieved excellent tensile strength and uniform elongation with almost no loss.The strengthening mechanism originated primarily from the hybrid reinforcement exhibits superior load-transfer,fracture inhibition and dislocation storage capability by controlling the interface reaction to construct an effective interface structure without damaging the reinforcement.Our work identifies a promising structural modification strategy for 2D materials and provides mechanistic insights into the synergistic strengthening effect of graphene/CNTs hybrid reinforcement.

Si-Assisted Solidification Path and Microstructure Control of 7075 Aluminum Alloy with Improved Mechanical Properties by Selective Laser Melting

The construction and application of traditional high-strength 7075 aluminum alloy(Al7075) through selective laser melting(SLM) are currently restricted by the serious hot cracking phenomenon. To address this critical issue, in this study, Si is employed to assist the SLM printing of high-strength Al7075. The laser energy density during SLM is optimized, and the eff ects of Si element on solidification path, relative density, microstructure and mechanical properties of Al7075 alloy are studied systematically. With the modified solidification path, laser energy density, and the dense microstructure with refined grain size and semi-continuous precipitates network at grain boundaries, which consists of fine Si, β-MgSi, Q-phase and θ-AlCu, the hot cracking phenomenon and mechanical properties are eff ectively improved. As a result, the tensile strength of the SLM-processed Si-modified Al7075 can reach 486 ± 3 MPa, with a high relative density of ~ 99.4%, a yield strength of 291 ± 8 MPa, fracture elongation of(6.4 ± 0.4)% and hardness of 162 ± 2(HV) at the laser energy density of 112.5 J/mm~3. The main strengthening mechanism with Si modification is demonstrated to be the synergetic enhancement of grain refinement, solution strengthening, load transfer, and dislocation strengthening. This work will inspire more new design of high-strength alloys through SLM.