Additive manufacturing of magnesium matrix composites: Comprehensive review of recent progress and research perspectives

The magnesium matrix composites(MMCs) formed by introducing reinforcements to magnesium alloys overcome the limitations of the mechanical properties to a certain extent, presenting unique and excellent properties that any component does not have, such as high specific stiffness and specific strength, good dimensional stability, outstanding shock absorption performance, excellent electromagnetic shielding and hydrogen storage characteristics, etc. As an emerging manufacturing technology, additive manufacturing(AM) is based on the design of threedimensional(3D) data model to obtain 3D objects through layer-by-layer processing, which possesses the advantages of short manufacturing cycle, high material utilization rate, high degree of design freedom, excellent mechanical properties and the ability to fabricate complex structural components. Combining the high stiffness and high strength properties of MMCs and the technical advantages of AM forming complex structural parts with high performance, the prepared AM MMCs have huge potential advantages and broad application prospects in new high-tech industries such as automobile, aerospace, consumer electronics and biomedicine, etc. This paper reviews the research progress in the field of AM MMCs, mainly introduces the main AM technologies, including selective laser melting(SLM), electron beam selective melting(EBSM), laser engineered net shaping(LENS) and wire and arc additive manufacturing(WAAM). The formation mechanism and control methods of the typical defects including balling effect, porosity, poor fusion, loss of alloy elements and cracks produced during AM are discussed. The main challenges of AM MMCs are proposed from the aspects of composition design and the preparation of powder raw material. The relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties, corrosion performance and biocompatibility of AM MMCs are elaborated in detail. The application potential of AM MMCs in various fields at present and in the future is introduced. Finally, the development direction and urgent problems to be solved in the AM MMCs are prospected.

Effect of applied pressure on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Y quasicrystal-reinforced AZ91D magnesium matrix composites prepared by squeeze casting

The Mg-Zn-Y quasicrystal-reinforced AZ91 D magnesium matrix composites were prepared by squeeze casting process. The effects of applied pressure on microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The results show that squeeze casting process is an effective method to refine the grain. The composites are mainly composed of α-Mg, β-Mg17Al12 and Mg3Zn6Y icosahedral quasicrystal phase（I-phase）. With the increase of applied pressure, the contents of β-Mg17Al12 phase and Mg3Zn6 Y quasicrystal particles increase, further matrix grain refinement occurs and coarse dendritic α-Mg transforms into equiaxed grain structure. The composite exhibits the maximum ultimate tensile strength and elongation of 194.3 MPa and 9.2% respectively when the applied pressure is 100 MPa, and a lot of dimples appear on the tensile fractography. Strengthening mechanisms of quasicrystal-reinforced AZ91 D magnesium matrix composites are chiefly fine-grain strengthening and quasicrystal particles strengthening.

Creep mechanism and creep constitutive model of aluminum silicate short-fiber-reinforced magnesium matrix composite

By the constant stress tensile creep test method, creep tests were performed on aluminum silicate short fiber-reinforced AZ91D magnesium matrix composite with volume fraction of 30% and its matrix alloy AZ91D under different temperatures and stresses. The results indicate that the composite and the matrix have the same true stress exponent and true activation energy for creep, which are 3 and 144.63 kJ/mol, respectively. The creep of the composite is controlled by the creep of its matrix, which is mainly the controlling of viscous slip of dislocation, and the controlling of grain boundary slippage as a supplement. The creep constitutive model obtained from the experiment data can well describe the creep deformation pattern of the composite.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of titanium-reinforced magnesium matrix composites: Review and perspective

Currently, many gratifying signs of progress have been made in magnesium(Mg) matrix composites(MMCs) by virtue of their high mechanical properties both at room and elevated temperatures. Although the commonly used reinforcements in MMCs are ceramic particles,they often provide improved yield and ultimate stresses by a significant loss in ductility. Therefore, hard metallic phases were introduced as alternative candidates for the manufacturing of MMCs, especially titanium(Ti). It has a high melting point, high Young’s modulus, high plasticity, low level of mutual solubility with Mg matrix, and closer thermal expansion coefficient to that of Mg metal than that of ceramic particles. It is highly preferable to provide both high ultimate stress and ductility in Mg matrix. However, many critical challenges for the fabrication of Ti-reinforced MMCs remain, such as Ti’s homogeneity, low recovery rate, and the optimization of interfacial bonding strength between Mg and Ti, etc. Meanwhile, different fabrication methods have various effects on the microstructures, mechanical properties, and the interfacial strength of Ti-reinforced MMCs. Hence, this review placed emphasis on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of Ti-reinforced MMCs fabricated by different techniques. The influencing factors that govern the strengthening mechanisms were systematically compared and discussed. Future research trends, key issues, and prospects were also proposed to develop Ti-reinforced MMCs.

Damage prediction for magnesium matrix composites formed by liquid-solid extrusion process based on finite element simulation

A damage prediction method based on FE simulation was proposed to predict the occurrence of hot shortness crocks and surface cracks in liquid-solid extrusion process. This method integrated the critical temperature criterion and Cockcroft ＆ Latham ductile damage model, which were used to predict the initiation of hot shortness cracks and surface cracks of products, respectively. A coupling simulation of deformation with heat transfer as well as ductile damage was carried out to investigate the effect of extrusion temperature and extrusion speed on the damage behavior of Csf/AZ91D composites. It is concluded that the semisolid zone moves gradually toward deformation zone with the punch descending. The amplitude of the temperature rise at the exit of die from the initial billet temperature increases with the increase of extrusion speed during steady-state extrusion at a given punch displacement. In order to prevent the surface temperature of products beyond the incipient melting temperature of composites, the critical extrusion speed is decreased with the increase of extrusion temperature, otherwise the hot shortness cracks will occur. The maximum damage values increase with increasing extrusion speed or extrusion temperature. Theoretical results obtained by the Deform^TM-2D simulation agree well with the experiments.

Processing,microstructure and mechanical properties of bimodal size SiCp reinforced AZ31B magnesium matrix composites

The bimodal size SiC particulates(SiCp)reinforced magnesium matrix composites with different ratios of micron SiCp and nano SiCp(M-SiCp:N-SiCp=14.5:0.5,14:1,and 13.5:1.5)were prepared by semisolid stirring assisted ultrasonic vibration method.The AZ31B alloy and all as-cast SiCp/AZ31B composites were extruded at 350℃ with the ratio of 12:1.Microstructural characterization of the extruded M14+N1(M-SiCp:N-SiCp=14:1)composite revealed the uniform distribution of bimodal size SiCp and significant grain refinement.Optical Microscopy(OM)observation showed that,compared with the M14.5+N0.5(M-SiCp:N-SiCp=14.5:0.5)composite,there are more recrystallized grains in M14+N1(M-SiCp:N-SiCp=14:1)and M13.5+N1.5(M-SiCp:N-SiCp=13.5:1.5)composites,but in comparison to the M13.5+N1.5 composite,the average grain size of the M14+N1 composite is slightly decreased.The evaluation of mechanical properties indicated that the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the M14+N1 composite were obviously increased compared with other composites.

Influence of processing route on microstructure and wear resistance of fly ash reinforced AZ31 magnesium matrix composites

Utilizing fly ash(FA)as reinforcement for magnesium matrix composites(MMCs)brings down the production cost and the land pollution.Magnesium alloy AZ31 was reinforced with FA particles(10 vol.%)successfully by two different processing methods namely conventional stir casting and friction stir processing(FSP).The microstructural features were observed using optical microscope,scanning electron microscope and electron backscatter diffraction.The sliding wear behavior was tested using a pin-on-disc wear apparatus.The stir cast composite showed inhomogeneous particle dispersion and coarse grain structure.Some of the FA particles decomposed and reacted with the matrix alloy to produce undesirable compounds.Conversely,FSP composite showed superior particle dispersion and fine,equiaxed grains by dynamic recrystallization.FA particles encountered disintegration but there was no interfacial reaction.FSP composite demonstrated higher strengthening and wear resistance to that of stir cast composite.The morphology of the worn surface and the wear debris were studied in detail.

Microstructure,mechanical properties and wear resistance of Ti particles reinforced AZ31 magnesium matrix composites

The compromise between strength and plasticity has greatly limited the potential application of particles reinforced magnesium matrix composites(MMCs).In this work,the Ti particles reinforced AZ31 magnesium(Mg)matrix composites achieved simultaneous improvement in strength,elongation and wear resistance.The Ti particles reinforced AZ31 composites were fabricated by ultrasonic-assisted stir casting with hot extrusion.The results showed that a strong interfacial bonding was obtained at Ti/Mg interface because of the formation of semicoherent orientation relationship of Ti Al/Mg,Ti Al/Al_(2)Ti and Al_(2)Ti/Mg interfaces.The as-extruded 6 wt.%Ti/AZ31 composite presented the best compressive mechanical properties and wear resistance with ultimate tensile strength,elongation and wear rate of 327 MPa,20.4%and 9.026×10^(-3)mm^(3)/m,obviously higher than those of AZ31 alloys.The enhanced mechanical properties were attributed to the grain refinement and strong interfacial bonding.The improved wear resistance was closely related to the increased hardness of composites and the formation of protective oxidation films.

Aging behavior of nano-SiC_p reinforced AZ61 magnesium matrix composites

The mechanical properties of magnesium matrix composties can be further improved by aging treatment. To study the aging behavior of SiC particles reinforced AZ61 magnesium matrix composites fabricated by ultrasonic method, an investigation has been undertaken by means of Vickers hardness measurement, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and energy spectrum analyzing apparatus. The box-type heat treatment furnace was used in the study. The results showed that no discontinuous cellular precipitation is observed at the grain boundaries in the magnesium matrix of the composite while the MglTAI12 preferentially precipitates in the matrix. The time to reach the peak hardness for AZ61 alloy or SiCp/AZ61 magnesium matrix composites is reduced with the increase of aging temperature. At the same temperature, the composite exhibit an accelerated aging manner but lower aging efficiency, compared with the unreinforced matrix alloy. The microhardness of the composite is higher than that of the unreinforced matrix alloy, because that the SiC particles distributes homogeneously in the matrix alloy under the ultrasonic processing condition.

Modeling of transverse welds formation during liquid-solid extrusion directly following vacuum infiltration of magnesium matrix composite

Liquid-solid extrusion directly following vacuum infiltration(LSEVI)is an infiltration-extrusion integrated forming technique,and transverse weld between upper residual magnesium alloy and magnesium matrix composites is a common internal defect,which can severely reduce the yield of composite products.To improve current understanding on the mechanism of transverse welding phenomenon,a thermo-mechanical numerical model of LSEVI for magnesium matrix composites was developed.The formation of transverse weld during extrusion was visualized using finite element simulation method,and the formation mechanism was discussed from the aspect of velocity field using a point tracking technique.The simulation results were verified by the experimental results in term of weld shape.

Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Squeeze Cast SiC_w/AZ91 Magnesium Matrix Composites

The interfacial microstructure and tensile properties of the squeeze cast SiCw/AZ91 Mg composites were characterized. There exist uniform, line and discrete MgO particles at the interface between SiC whisker and magnesium in the composites using acid aluminum phosphate binder. The interfacial reaction products MgO are beneficial to interfacial bonding between SiCw and the Mg matrix. resulting in an improvement of the mechanical properties of the composite.

Microstructure and room temperature tensile properties of 1μm-SiCp/AZ31B magnesium matrix composite

In the present study,AZ31B magnesium matrix composites reinforced with two volume fractions(3 and 5 vol.%)of micron-SiC particles(1μm)were fabricated by semisolid stirring assisted ultrasonic vibration method.The as-cast ingots were extruded at 350℃ with the extrusion ratio of 15:1 at a constant ram speed of 15 mm/s.The microstructure of the composites was investigated by optical microscopy,scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope.Microstructure characterization of the composites showed relative uniform reinforcement distribution and significant grain refinement.The presence of 1μm-SiC particles assisted in improving the elastic modulus and tensile strength.The ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of the 5 vol.%SiCp/AZ31B composites were simultaneously improved.

In vitro corrosion behavior and cytotoxicity property of magnesium matrix composite with chitosan coating

Mg-6%Zn-10%β-Ca3(PO4)2 composite was prepared through powder metallurgy methods with different chitosan coatings on its surface. The properties of the chitosan coatings on the surface of Mg-6%Zn-10%β-Ca3(PO4)2 composite, such as the adhesion ability, the corrosion behavior and the cytotoxicity properties, were investigated, and the microstructure of the chitosan coating was observed by scanning electron microscope(SEM). The results show that chitosan coating improves the corrosion resistance of the magnesium composite specimens significantly. Mg-6%Zn-10%β-Ca3(PO4)2 composite specimens exhibit good corrosion resistance and low p H values in simulated body fluid(SBF) at 37 °C in the immersion test with 7-layer chitosan coating whose relative molecular mass is 30×104 Da. The cytotoxicity tests indicate that Mg-6%Zn-10%β-Ca3(PO4)2 with chitosan coating is nontoxic with a cytotoxicity grade of zero against L-929 cells, which is better than that of uncoated composites.

Fabrication,Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of in situ GNPs Reinforced Magnesium Matrix Composites

Graphene reinforced magnesium matrix composites have wide applications in automotive,electronics,aerospace and military fields due to the fascinating mechanical properties.However,it is difficult to realize the high strength and ductility simultaneously.In this work,the in situ liquid-state method was utilized to prepare GNPs/Mg6Zn composites via CO_(2)/Mg chemical reaction.Tensile strength of the GNPs/Mg6Zn composites was improved with increasing content of the GNPs.Meantime,the composites also exhibit a notable plastic deformation stage,and especially the ductility of 0.12 GNPs/Mg6Zn composites reaches 27.6%.Therefore,this novel preparation method has great potential application for fabricating Mg matrix composites with high strength and high ductility.

Effect of Ti Particles on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AZ91 Magnesium Matrix Composites

Spherical micro-Ti particle(TiP)-reinforced AZ91 magnesium alloy composites were fabricated by semi-solid stirring assisted ultrasonic vibration,which were then subjected to hot extrusion.The microstructure results showed that the addition of Ti particles refined the grain size and decreased the texture intensity of the as-extruded AZ91 alloy.An Al3Ti phase with a thickness of 100 nm formed at the Ti/Mg interface,which had a non-coherent relationship with the magnesium matrix.The as-extruded 1 vol.%TiP/AZ91 composite exhibited the best comprehensive mechanical properties,with yield strength,ultimate tensile strength,and elongation at break of 366 MPa,456 MPa,and 14.6%,respectively,which were significantly higher than those of the AZ91 alloy.Therefore,the addition of Ti particles can improve the strength and ductility of the AZ91 alloy,demonstrating the value of magnesium matrix composites for commercial applications.

Machine Learning-Based Research on Tensile Strength of SiC-Reinforced Magnesium Matrix Composites via Stir Casting

SiC is the most common reinforcement in magnesium matrix composites,and the tensile strength of SiC-reinforced magnesium matrix composites is closely related to the distribution of SiC.Achieving a uniform distribution of SiC requires fine control over the parameters of SiC and the processing and preparation process.However,due to the numerous adjustable parameters,using traditional experimental methods requires a considerable amount of experimentation to obtain a uniformly distributed composite material.Therefore,this study adopts a machine learning approach to explore the tensile strength of SiC-reinforced magnesium matrix composites in the mechanical stirring casting process.By analyzing the influence of SiC parameters and processing parameters on composite material performance,we have established an effective predictive model.Furthermore,six different machine learning regression models have been developed to predict the tensile strength of SiC-reinforced magnesium matrix composites.Through validation and comparison,our models demonstrate good accuracy and reliability in predicting the tensile strength of the composite material.The research findings indicate that hot extrusion treatment,SiC content,and stirring time have a significant impact on the tensile strength.

Corrosion Behavior of Graphene Nanosheets Reinforced Magnesium Matrix Composites in Simulated Body Fluids

Magnesium(Mg)alloy is considered as a promising biodegradable implant material but restricted to rapid degradation.Here,the new strategies based on thixomolding process had been explored to utilize the outstanding anti-permeability of graphene nanosheets(GNPs)while inhibit its galvanic corrosion with the matrix,so as to improve the corrosion resistance of composites.The agglomerate of GNPs with 0.9 wt%content is the main reason for the deterioration of corrosion performance due to the formation of micro-galvanic corrosion.The grain refinement of composites with 0.6 wt%content had positive effects on the better corrosion resistance.After process adjusting,the unique distributions of GNPs along grain boundaries play a vital role in improving the corrosion resistance.It can be ascribed to the following mechanisms:(I)The barriers can be established between the Mg matrix and corrosive medium,hence blocking the charge transfer at the interface;(II)The GNPs can effectively promote apatite deposition on the Mg matrix,leading to form dense apatite layers and prevent the further invasion of SBF;(III)The GNPs acting as reinforcements exists in the corrosion layer and apatite layer,impede the apatite layer falling off from the Mg matrix.These findings broaden the horizon for biomedical applications in Mg matrix composites to realize desired performances.

Regulation of bimodal structure and mechanical properties of powder-thixoformed GO/ZK60 magnesium matrix composite through adjusting GO content

Although remarkable strength enhancements can be achieved in graphene oxide(GO)/graphene nanoplatelets(GNPs)reinforced Mg matrix composites by using the available techniques,their ductility is always quite poor due to the difficultly avoided strength-ductility trade-off.To conquer this dilemma,GO/ZK60 composites with bimodal-grain structure were fabricated using powder thixoforming in this work.The results indicate that the grain size and volume fraction of coarse grains(CGs)first decrease as the GO content increases to 0.2 wt.%and then increase again as the content increases to 0.3 wt.%,while the grain size in the fine grains(FGs)almost does not change.Consequently,the strength of the composites is improved with increasing GO content and reaches the peak values at the content of 0.2 wt.%.The composite with 0.1 wt.%GO content exhibits significantly increased tensile yield strength up to 177±2 MPa while maintaining a high elongation of 23.1%±2.5%,being equivalent to that of the ZK60 matrix alloy.The increased FGs volume fraction,together with the promoted dislocation accumulation and storage via GO and grain refinement of large-sized CGs lead to the improvement of strain hardening ability,thus rendering the composite an excellent ductility.Furthermore,the deformation of the GO/ZK60 composites occurs progressively from the FGs to the CGs,which is opposite to the status of the milled ZK60 matrix alloy.In view of the microstructure characteristics of the composites,a new complex calculation model was proposed and it could well predict the strength of the bimodal GO/ZK60 composites.This study provides a new insight into the microstructure design and fabrication technology of GO/GNPs reinforced metal-based composites with high strength and ductility.

Processing,Microstructures,and Mechanical Properties of Magnesium Matrix Composites:A Review

In the last two decades, light-weight magnesium matrix composites have been the hot issue of material field due to their excellent mechanical and physical properties, e.g., high-specific strength and modulus, good wear resistance, and damping capacity. As compared with aluminum matrix composites, magnesium matrix composites have merit in their specific weight and have wide applications in aerospace and aeronautical fields. Generally, the processing techniques for magnesium matrix composites can be categorized as conventional and special processing routes. In recent years, as a special processing route, metal melt infiltration into porous ceramic preform featured by its low cost and availability of high-volume fraction of reinforced ceramics have been receiving much attention. Thus, in this review, one emphasis was put on the description of this processing technique in association with the means to obtain good wettability, the prerequisite for this kind of processing method. Based on the recognized fact that there exist clean interface and bonding ability between ceramics and matrix metal, in-situ reaction synthesis is usually utilized to fabricate magnesium matrix composites. Therefore, the interfacial feature was also reviewed for the in-situ reaction synthesis. Characterizations of microstructures and various mechanical-physical properties were finally summarized for magnesium matrix composites including tensile response, wear resistance, creep behavior, and damping capacity.

Preparation and theoretic study of semi-solid Al_2Y/AZ91 magnesium matrix composites slurry by ultrasonic vibration

Abstract： Semi-solid A12Y/AZ91 magnesium matrix composites slurry was prepared by ultrasonic vibration, effect of ultrasonic vi bration temperature and time on microstructure of semi-solid slurry was investigated. The results showed that with the ultrasonic vibration temperature decreasing the solid volume fraction of semi-solid slurry increased. The best ultrasonic vibration temperature was 600 ℃. With the increase of ultrasonic vibration time, the average grain diameter of primary a-Mg particles decreased firstly, then increased, the average shape factor increased gradually and decreased slightly after 90 s, and a few rosette dendrites were observed after 120 s. The best semi-solid slurry with average grain diameter of 75 μm and shape factor of 0.7 were gained after the melt was treated by ultrasonic vibration for about 60 s at near liquidus temperature （600 ℃）. At last, the microstructure evolution mechanism of semi-solid magnesium matrix composites slurry was analyzed by the theories of thermodynamics and kinetics.