Features of microstructure and fracture in the transient liquid phase bonded aluminium-based metal matrix composite joints

Transient liquid phase (TLP) bonded aluminium based metal matrix composite (MMC) joints can be classified into three distinct regions, i.e. the particulate segregation region, the denuded particulate region and the base material region. The microstructure of the particulate segregation region consists of alumina particulate and Al alloy matrix with the Al 2Cu and MgAl 2O 4. It contains more and smaller alumina particulates compared with the base material region. The TLP bonded joints have the tensile strength of 150 MPa ～200 MPa and the shear strength of 70 MPa ～100 MPa . With increasing tensile stress, cracks initiate in the particulate segregation region, especially in the particulate/particulate interface and the particulate/matrix interface, and propagate along particulate/matrix interface, througth thin matrix metal and by linking up the close cracks. The particulate segregation region is the weakest during tensile testing and shear testing due to obviously increased proportion of weak bonds (particulate particulate bond and particulate matrix bond).

Dry sliding wear characterization of Al 6061/rock dust composite

The influence of rock dust size（10-30 μm） and mass fraction（5%-15%） on density, hardness and dry sliding wear behavior of Al 6061/rock dust composite processed through stir casting was investigated. Wear behavior of the developed composite was characterized at different loads, sliding velocities and distances using pin-on-disc setup. The experiments were conducted based on Taguchi＇s L27 orthogonal array and the influence of process parameters on wear rate was studied using ANOVA. The experimental results reveal that the applied load and reinforcement size are the major parameters influencing the specific wear rate for all samples, followed by mass fraction of reinforcement, sliding velocity and sliding distance at the level of 47.61%, 28.57%, 19.04%, 9.52% and 4.76%, respectively. The developed regression equation was tested for its accuracy and made evident that it can be used for predicting the wear rate with minimal error. With the help of SEM images, the worn surfaces of the novel composite were studied and the analysis proves that the wear resistance of aluminium alloys can be well improved with the addition of rock dust as reinforcement.

Effect of process parameters on the density and porosity of laser melted AlSi10Mg/SiC metal matrix composite

Laser melting of aluminium alloy-AlSi10Mg has increasingly been used to create specialised products in various industrial applications, however, research on utilising laser melting of aluminium matrix composites in replacing specialised parts have been slow on the uptake. This has been attributed to the complexity of the laser melting process, metal/ceramic feedstock for the process and the reaction of the feedstock material to the laser. Thus, an understanding of the process, material microstructure and mechanical properties is important for its adoption as a manufacturing route of aluminium metal matrix composites. The effects of several parameters of the laser melting process on the mechanical blended composite were thus investigated in this research. This included single track formations of the matrix alloy and the composite alloyed with 5% and 10% respectively for their reaction to laser melting and the fabrication of density blocks to investigate the relative density and porosity over different scan speeds. The results from these experiments were utilised in determining a process window in fabricating near-fully dense parts.

Synchrotron Characterisation of Ultra-Fine Grain TiB_(2)/Al-Cu Composite Fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Isotropy in microstructure and mechanical properties remains a challenge for laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)processed materials due to the epitaxial growth and rapid cooling in LPBF.In this study,a high-strength TiB_(2)/Al-Cu composite with random texture was successfully fabricated by laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)using pre-doped TiB_(2)/Al-Cu composite powder.A series of advanced characterisation techniques,including synchrotron X-ray tomography,correlative focussed ion beam-scanning electron microscopy(FIB-SEM),scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM),and synchrotron in situ X-ray diffraction,were applied to investigate the defects and microstructure of the as-fabricated TiB_(2)/Al-Cu composite across multiple length scales.The study showed ultra-fine grains with an average grain size of about 0.86μm,and a random texture was formed in the as-fabricated condition due to rapid solidification and the TiB_(2)particles promoting heterogeneous nucleation.The yield strength and total elongation of the as-fabricated composite were 317 MPa and 10%,respectively.The contributions of fine grains,solid solutions,dislocations,particles,and Guinier-Preston(GP)zones were calculated.Failure was found to be initiated from the largest lack-of-fusion pore,as revealed by in situ synchrotron tomography during tensile loading.In situ synchrotron diffraction was used to characterise the lattice strain evolution during tensile loading,providing important data for the development of crystal-plasticity models.

Production Process and Properties of a Highly Porous Al Alloy Made Using NaCl Droplets as a Space Holder

Porous Al structures have been made using a porogen leaching method but with additional novel steps. In this way, Al-0.25Cu-0.6Si-1.0Mg alloys with interconnected, open cells have been made, with high levels of porosity（up to 89%）. The use of 4 to 5 mm diameter sodium chloride droplets combined with interspersion of the metal powder and droplets in the die and dissolution of the salt before sintering was found to enable easier interspersion of the two components, resulting in good connectivity of the beads via the formation of ‘‘windows＇ ＇ between the pores, and rapid elimination of salt from the structure. Porous Al with densities in the range of 0.28–0.86 g/cm3 exhibited compressive yield strengths in the range of 0.14 to 7.5 MPa, with no difference being observed between the samples made by this route and by more conventional dissolution of the salt after sintering. These novel steps widen the possibility for porous metal manufacture to other materials, not limited by the need to have a sintering temperature below that for the melting point of salt.