Microstructure,interfacial reaction behavior,and mechanical properties of Ti_(3)AlC_(2)reinforced Al6061 composites

The interfacial reaction behavior of Al and Ti_(3)AlC_(2)at different pouring temperatures and its effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated.The results show that the addition of3.0 wt.%Ti_(3)AlC_(2)refines the average grain size ofα(Al)in the composite by 50.1%compared to Al6061 alloy.Morphological analyses indicate that an in-situ Al_(3Ti)transition layer of-180 nm in thickness is generated around the edge of Ti_(3)AlC_(2)at 720℃,forming a well-bonded Al-Al_(3Ti)interface.At this processing temperature,the ultimate tensile strength of A16061-3.0 wt.%Ti_(3)AlC_(2)composite is 199.2 MPa,an improvement of 41.5%over the Al6061 matrix.Mechanism analyses further elucidate that 720℃is favourable for forming the nano-sized transition layer at the Ti_(3)AlC_(2)edges.And,the thermal mismatch strengthening plays a dominant role in this state,with a strengthening contribution of about 74.8%.

Modification of Nano-α-Al2O3 and Its Influence on the Surface Properties of Waterborne Polyurethane Resin Composite Passivation Films

Silane coupling agent KH560 was used to modify the surface of nano-α-Al2O3 in ethanol-aqueous solution with different proportions. The particle size of nano-α-Al2O3 was determined by nano-particle size analyzer, and the effects of nano-α-Al2O3 content, ethanol-aqueous solution ratio and KH560 dosage on the dispersion and particle size of nano-α-Al2O3 were investigated. The material structure before and after modification was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Aqueous polyurethane resin and inorganic components are combined with modified nano-α-Al2O3 dispersion to form chromium-free passivation solution. The solution is coated on the galvanized sheet, the adhesion and surface hardness are tested, the bonding strength of the coating and the surface hardness of the substrate are discussed. The corrosion resistance and surface morphology of the matrix were investigated by electrochemical test, neutral salt spray test and scanning electron microscope test. The chromium-free passivation film formed after the modification of nano-α-Al2O3 increases the surface hardness of galvanized sheet by about 85%. The corrosion resistance of the film is better than that of a single polyurethane film. The results show that the surface hardness and corrosion resistance of polyurethane resin composite passivation film are significantly improved by the introduction of nano-α-Al2O3.

Synthesis of Y_2O_3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite on TC4 Ti alloy by laser cladding

A Y2O3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite coating was fabricated in-situ on a TC4 Ti alloy by laser surface cladding. The phase component, microstructure, composition distribution and properties of the composite layer were investigated. The composite layer has graded microstructures and compositions, due to the fast melting followed by rapid solidification and cooling during laser cladding. The TiC powders are completely dissolved into the melted layer during melting and segregated as fine dendrites when solidified. The size of TiC dendrites decreases with increasing depth. Y2O3 fine particles distribute in the whole clad layer. The Y2O3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite layer has a quite uniform hardness along depth with a maximum value of HV1380, which is 4 times higher than the initial hardness. The wear resistance of the Ti alloy is significantly improved after laser cladding due to the high hardness of the composite coating.

Morphology and Frictional Characteristics Under Electrical Currents of Al_2O_3/Cu Composites Prepared by Internal Oxidation

Two Al2O3/Cu composites containing 0.24 wt.% Al2O3 and 0.60 wt.% Al2O3 separately are prepared by internal oxidation. Effects of sliding speed and pressure on the frictional characteristics of the composites and copper against brass are investigated and compared. The changes in morphology of the sliding surface and subsurface are examined with scanning electron microscope （SEM） and energy dispersive X-ray spectrum （EDS）. The results show that the wear resistance of the Al2O3/Cu composites is superior to that of copper under the same conditions, Under a given electrical current, the wear rate of Al2O3/Cu composites decreases as the Al2O3-content increases, However, the wear rates of the Al2O3/Cu composites and copper increase as the sliding speed and pressure increase under dry sliding condition. The main wear mechanisms for Al2O3/Cu composites are of abrasion and adhesion; for copper, it is adhesion, although wear by oxidation and electrical erosion can also be observed as the speed and pressure rise.

Microstructure and evolution of(TiB_2+Al_2O_3)/NiAl composites prepared by self-propagation high-temperature synthesis

（TiB2＋Al2O3）/NiAl composites were synthesized by self-propagation high-temperature synthesis, and their phase compositions, microstructures and evolution modes were studied. The microstructures and shapes vary with the TiB2＋Al2O3 content in the NiAl matrix. TiB2 particles take a great variety of elementary shapes such as white bars, plates, herringbones, regular cubes and cuboids. These results outline a strategy of self-assembly processes in real time to build diversified microstructures. Some TiB2 grains in sizes of 2-5μm are embeded in Al2O3 clusters, while a small number of TiB2 particles disperse in the NiAl matrix. It is believed that the higher the TiB2＋Al2O3 content is, the more the regular shapes and homogeneous distributions of TiB2 and Al2O3 will be present in the NiAl matrix.

Friction and wear properties of in-situ synthesized Al_2O_3 reinforced aluminum composites

Al-5%Si-AI2O3 composites were prepared by powder metallurgy and in-situ reactive synthesis technology. Friction and wear properties of Al-5%Si-Al2O3 composites were studied using an M-2000 wear tester. The effects of load, sliding speed and long time continuous friction on friction and wear properties of Al-5%Si-Al2O3 composites were investigated, respectively. Wear surface and wear mechanism of Al-5%Si-Al2O3 composites were studied by Quanta 200 FE-SEM. Results showed that with load increasing, wear loss and coefficient of friction increased. With sliding speed going up, the surface temperature of sample made the rate of the producing of oxidation layer increase, while wear loss and coefficient of friction decreased. With the sliding distance increasing, coefficient of friction increased because the adhesive wear mechanism occurred in the initial stage, then formation and destruction of the oxide layer on the surface of the sample tended to a dynamic equilibrium, the surface state of the sample was relatively stable and so did the coefficient of friction. The experiment shows that the main wear mechanism of Al-5%Si-Al2O3 composites includes abrasive wear, adhesive wear and oxidation wear.

Hot deformation and processing maps of Al_2O_3/Al composites fabricated by flake powder metallurgy

The deformation behaviors of Al2O3/Al composites were investigated by compressive tests conducted at temperature of 300-450 °C and strain rates of 0.001-1.0 s-1 with Gleeble-1500 D thermal simulator system. The results show that the flow stress increases with increasing strain rate and decreasing temperature. The hyperbolic sine constitutive equation can describe the flow stress behavior of Al2O3/Al composites, and the deformation activation energy and constitutive equations were calculated. The processing maps of Al2O3/Al-2 μm and Al2O3/Al-1 μm composites at strain of 0.6 were obtained and the optimum processing domains are in ranges of 300-330 °C, 0.007-0.03 s-1 and 335-360 °C, 0.015-0.06 s-1 for hot working, respectively. The instability zones of flow behavior can also be recognized by the maps.

Preparation of Al_2O_3/Au nano-laminated composite coatings and their oxidation resistance on stainless steel

Al2O3/Au nano-laminated composite coatings were prepared by means of magnetron sputtering. The coating was compact and comprised of nano-laminated Al2O3 and Au layers. High temperature cyclic oxidation test was employed to investigate the oxidation resistance of the composite coatings. The results revealed that the applied Al2O3/Au nano-laminated composite coatings improved the oxidation and spallation resistance of the stainless steel substrate significantly. The mechanism accounting for oxidation resistance was related with the suppression of inward oxygen diffusion and selective oxidation of Cr in the substrate. The mechanism accounting for spallation resistance was attributed to the relaxation of thermal stress by the nano-laminated structure.

Effect of CuO particle size on synthesis temperature and microstructure of Al_2O_(3p)-Al composites from Al-CuO system

Al2O3p-Al composites were synthesized using an in-situ reaction in the 80%Al-20%CuO （mass fraction） system. The effects of the CuO particle size on the synthesis temperature and microstructure of the composites were investigated by various methods. The results indicate that the CuO particle size has a significant effect on the temperature at which the complete reaction in the Al-CuO system occurs：the temperature is 200 ℃ lower in the Al-CuO system containing CuO particles with sizes less than 6μm than that containing CuO particles with sizes less than 100μm. The interfacial bonding between Al2O3 particles and Al is not complete when the temperature is below a critical value. The morphology of the Al2O3 particles varies from ribbon-like shape to near spherical shape when the temperature is above a critical value. These two critical temperatures are affected by the particle size of CuO, and the critical temperature of the sample containing CuO particles with sizes less than 6μm is 100 ℃ lower than that of the sample containing CuO particles with sizes less than 100μm.

Tribological behavior and mechanism of NiCrBSi-Y_2O_3 composite coatings

The NiCrBSi-Y2O3 composite coatings were prepared on the surface of 45 carbon steel by plasma spray, the microstructure and tribological properties of the coatings were investigated. The results show that the NiCrBSi-Y2O3 composite coatings are mainly composed of γ-Ni, CrB, Cr7C3 and Y2O3. With addition of Y2O3, hard phases such as CrB, Cr7C3 emerge in composite coating, and the density of the composite coatings also increases. The NiCrBSi-0.5Y2O3 composite coating presents excellent tribological properties. Its friction coefficient is 0.175, which is about 37% of that of the pure NiCrBSi coating. The mass wear loss is 1.2 mg, which is reduced by 43% compared with the pure NiCrBSi coating. When the loads are 6-10 N, the NiCrBSi-0.5Y2O3 composite coating suffers from slight wear and the wear mechanisms are mainly adhesive wear accompany with slight micro-cutting wear and micro-fracture wear. As the load increases to 12 N, the wear mechanisms are adhesive wear and severe micro-cutting wear.

Effect of Nb on the Mechanical Properties of Ti/Al_2O_3 Composite

Ti/Al 2O 3 composite with improved mechanical properties was synthesized by th e spark plasma sintering. The effect of Nb on the microstructure of the composit e was analyzed by TEM, SEM and so on. The experimental results indicate that the bending strength, fracture toughness, micro-hardness and relative density of t he composite are 897.29MPa, 17.38MPa·m 1/2, 17.13GPa and 99.24% respec tively when adding 1.5vol%Nb. The bending strength is improved by reason of form ing dislocation ring and transfering fracture mode from intergranular to mixture fracture of intergranular and transgranular. The crack propagating is mainly th e deflection bridging. It indicates a reduction of crack driving force and an in crease in crack growth resistance,which results in toughness enhanced.

Performance Research of UPR/Al_2O_3 Composite Particles

UPR/Al2O3 composite particles were synthesized from unsaturated polyester resin(UPR) and nanometer/ultra-fine Al2O3 powders by means of suspension polymerization.The effects of Al2O3 with two different particle diameters on the density and hardness of the composite particles during the synthesis were studied.The results show UPR/Al2O3 composite particles synthesized by suspension polymerization are spherical,smooth,with a yield of 60%～75%(wt),and the particle diameters are 140～250μm;Al2O3 can effectively improves the density and hardness of the composite particles;when the contet is the same,effect of ultra-fine Al2O3 on the density and hardness of the composite particles is better than that of nanometer Al2O3;When the mass fraction of Al2O3 is 55%,the maximum hardness of ultra-fine Al2O3 composite particles and nanometer Al2O3 composite particles are 39.42HV and 25.66HV respectively.

In-situ Synthesis of Ti_3AlC2/TiC-Al_2O_3 Composite from TiO_2-Al-C System

Ti3AlC2/TiC-Al2O3 composite was synthesized by a combustion reaction in TiO2-Al-C system. The effect of the compositions in raw materials on the products was investigated. Ti3AlC2/TiC-Al2O3 composite was obtained at the molar ratio of TiO2：Al：C=3.0：5.0～5.1：1.8～2.0. The reaction path for the 3TiO2-5Al- 2C system was proposed. Al3Ti, Ti203, TiO, and 6-Al2O3 are found to be transitional phases. Finally, Ti3AlC2/TiC-Al2O3 composite forms at～900℃ of furnace temperature. The measured Vickers hardness, fracture toughness, and flexural strength of the nearly dense sample from 3TiO2-5Al-2C are 13.3±1.1 GPa, 5.8±0.3 MPa.m^1/2, and 466±39 MPa, respectively.

Thermal shock fatigue behavior of TiC/Al_2O_3 composite ceramics

The thermal shock fatigue behaviors of pure hot-pressed alumina and 30 wt.% TiC/Al2O3 composites were studied. The effect of TiC and Al2O3 starting particle size on the mechanical properties of the composites was discussed. Indentation-quench test was conducted to evaluate the effect of thermal fatigue temperature difference （ΔT） and number of thermal cycles （Ⅳ） on fatigue crack growth （Δa）. The mechanical properties and thermal fatigue resistance of TiC/Al203 composites are remarkably improved by the addition of TiC. The thermal shock fatigue of monolithic alumina and TiC/Al2O3 composites is due to a ＂true＂ cycling effect （thermal fatigue）. Crack deflection and bridging are the predominant reasons for the improvement of thermal shock fatigue resistance of the composites.

IN SITU PROCESSING OF Al_(2)O_(3) WHISKERS REINFORCED Ti-Al INTERMETALLIC COMPOSITES

In situ Al2O3 whiskers reinforced Ti-Al intermetallic composites were fabricated at ~1200℃ by reaction sintering of cold-consolidated fillets consisting mainly of Ti, Al, and different additives. The phases and microstructures of the sintered composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The process of synthesis was investigated using differential thermal analysis (DTA). The effects of processing parameters and additives on the microstructures of the composites and the development of whisker were examined. It is found that the morphology of the whisker is strongly influenced by the additives, the exothermal reaction process, and the processing parameters.

Preparation of Crack-free 3Y-TZP/Al_2O_3 Composite Ceramic Fiber by Electrolysis-sol-gel Method

Polycrystalline 3Y-TZP/Al2O3 tetragonal zirconia fiber was obtained by the pyrolysis of gel fibers using zirconium oxychloride octahydrate（ZOC） as the raw material. The spinnable zirconia sol was prepared by electrolyzing the zirco-nium oxychloride octahydrate（ZOC） solution in the presence of acetic acid and sugar（ sucrose, glucrose or fructose） , in which the molar ratios of CH3 COOH/ZOC and sugar/ZOC were 1.0-4.0 and 0.2-0.4, respectively. The pre- pared tetragonal zireonia fibers sintered at different temperatures showed smooth and crack-free surfaces with diame, ters of 5-10 μm. The addition of Al2O3 enhanced the sintering process and prevented the crystals from growing. Thermogravimetric analysis（TG）, X-ray diffraction （ XRD ）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FTIR）, and scanning electron microscope（SEM） techniques were used to characterize the prepared fibers.

Preparation of Z-scheme WO_3(H_2O)_(0.333)/Ag_3PO_4 composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity and durability

Ag3PO4 is widely used in the field of photocatalysis because of its unique activity. However, photocorrosion limits its practical application. Therefore, it is very urgent to find a solution to improve the light corrosion resistance of Ag3PO4. Herein, the Z-scheme WO3(H2O)0.333/Ag3PO4 composites are successfully prepared through microwave hydrothermal and simple stirring. The WO3(H2O)0.333/Ag3PO4 composites are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy. In the degradation of organic pollutants, WO3(H2O)0.333/Ag3PO4 composites exhibit excellent performance under visible light. This is mainly attributed to the synergy of WO3(H2O)0.333 and Ag3PO4. Especially, the photocatalytic activity of 15%WO3(H2O)0.333/Ag3PO4 is the highest, and the methylene blue can be completely degraded in 4 min. In addition, the stability of the composites is also greatly enhanced. After five cycles of testing, the photocatalytic activity of 15%WO3(H2O)0.333/Ag3PO4 is not obviously decreased. However, the degradation efficiency of Ag3PO4 was only 20.2%. This indicates that adding WO3(H2O)0.333 can significantly improve the photoetching resistance of Ag3PO4. Finally, Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism is investigated.

Kinetics of Oxidation for β-Sialon in Diphase β-Sialon/Al_2O_3 Composite

Non-isothermal kinetic research has been carried out on oxidation behavior of β-Sialon in diphaseβ-Sialon/Al_2O_3 composite at high temperatures. A kinetic formula is established for non-isothermal oxidation process of β-Sialon. The rate of oxidation process is controlled by chemicalreaction at the initial stage and then by diffusion. The apparent activation energies and appar-ent rate constants at different temperatures are determined by treating TG data of the overallprocess.

Effect of MoSi_2 content on dielectric and mechanical properties of MoSi_2/Al_2O_3 composite coatings

Molybdenum disilicide （MoSi2） sheath and aluminum oxide （Al2O3） core blended powders were fabricated by spray drying. A derived coating material was produced for the application as microwave absorbers using the as prepared powders by atmospheric plasma spray （APS） technology. The effects of MoSi2/Al2O3 mass ratio on the dielectric and physical mechanical properties of the composite coatings were investigated. When the MoSi2 content of the composites increases from 0 to 45%, the flexure strength and fracture toughness improve from 198 to 324 MPa and 3.05 to 4.82 MPa-m1/2 then decline to 310 MPa and 4.67 MPa-m1/2, respectively. The dielectric loss tangent increases with increasing MoSi2 content, and the real part of permittivity decreases conversely over the frequency range of 8.2-12.4 GHz. These effects are due to the agglomeration of early molten MoSi2 particles and the increase of the electrical conductivity with increasing MoSi2 content.

Reaction thermodynamics and kinetics on in situ Al_2O_3/Cu composites

The preferred internal oxidation of aluminum in Cu Al alloy was used to obtain in situ Al 2O 3/Cu composites. The reinforcement particles were mainly γ Al 2O 3, some θ Al 2O 3 and a little α Al 2O 3. Thermodynamics analyses show that the chemical reactions are 3Cu 2O+2Al=6Cu+Al 2O 3 or 3CuO+2Al=3Cu+Al 2O 3. A related equilibrium diagram was drawn. The experiments and investigation show that the formation rate of Al 2O 3 was controlled by the diffusion of oxygen in matrix.