Development and Characterization of Aluminium-Based Metal Matrix Composites

Aluminum based metal matrix composites were fabricated using stir casting where silicon carbide and alumina were the reinforcements. Different types of properties (physical-density, mechanical-tensile, hardness, chemical-corrosion etc.) were measured and compared with base metals/alloys. The properties were significantly varied. The highest density was obtained for pure aluminium with 5% Al2O3 whereas the lowest was obtained for AA-4032 alloy. The highest hardness was obtained for AA-4032 with 5% Al2O3 whereas the lowest was obtained for pure Al with 5% Al2O3. The highest strength was obtained for AA-6061 with 5% coarse SiC whereas the lowest was obtained for pure Al. The highest impact strength was obtained for AA-4032 with 5% Al2O3 whereas the lowest was obtained for AA-6061. The corrosion resistance of all composites was lower than that of the base materials.

Mixed rare earth metal conversion coatings on 2024 alloy and Al6061/SiC_p metal matrix composites

The processes of mixed rare earth metal (REM) conversion coatings on 2024 alloy and Al6061/SiC p metal matrix composites (MMC) were introduced. The coatings were examined to be honeycomb like feature by scanning electron microscope. X ray diffraction analysis revealed that the coatings are amorphous structure. The results of X ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the mixed REM conversion coatings consist predominantly of Ce and O, the contents of other rare earth elements (such as La, Pr) are relatively low, the coatings are about 2～4 μm thickness with excellent adhesion and wearability. The results of mass loss test showed that the mixed REM conversion coatings produce corrosion resistant surface of 2024 alloy and Al6061/SiC p. [

Role of particle stimulated nucleation in recrystallization of hot extruded Al 6061/SiC_p composites

Studies on texture and microstructure evolution in hot extruded Al 6061 aluminium alloy reinforced with uncoated and nickel coated SiC p were carried out by electron backscattered diffraction technique.Textures of both the alloy and its composite with nickel coated SiC p do exhibit strong β fiber with its axis parallel to the direction of extrusion.In addition to the dominant cube texture（001） 100,fully recrystallized grains with partially equiaxed structure have been observed in the alloy reinforced with uncoated SiC p.The recrystallization texture of this composite can be attributed to the particle stimulated nucleation（PSN） due to the presence of SiC p with size less than 5 μm.Under these conditions,the low value of Zener-Hollomon,Z（～1012s-1） confirms that PSN is one of the dominant mechanisms for recrystallization and is governed by formation of deformation zone rather than stored energy.

Rare Earth Application in Sealing Anodized Al-Based Metal Matrix Composites

A new method for corrosion protection of Al-based metal matrix composites (MMC) was developed using two-step process, which involves anodizing in H2SO4 solution and sealing in rare earth solution. Corrosion resistance of the treated surface was evaluated with polarization curves. The results showed that the effect of the protection using rare earth sealing is equivalent to that using chromate sealing for Al6061/SiCp. The rare earth metal salt can be an alternative to the toxic chromate for sealing anodized Al MMC.

Influence of Reinforcement Type on Microstructure, Hardness, and Tensile Properties of an Aluminum Alloy Metal Matrix Composite

This paper presents the results of the comparative study of as cast microstructures and mechanical properties viz yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elastic modulus, percentage elongation, hardness, percentage porosity and fracture characteristic of 5 wt% SiC and Al2O3 particulate reinforced Al-4% Cu-2.5% Mg matrix composites. These composite materials were prepared through stir casting process. Quantitative metallographic techniques were utilized to determine the average grain size of particles. The microstructures and tensile fracture characteristic of the representative samples of the composites were examined using optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The experimental results demonstrate a fairly uniform distribution of 50.8 μm Al2O3 and 49.2 μm SiC spherical particles with some clustering in few areas. At the interfaces of Al2O3 and the matrix, MgO and MgAl2O4 were observed. Similarly, Al4C3 was formed at the interfaces between SiC and the matrix. The mechanical property test results revealed that, for the same weight percentage of reinforcement, Al-4% Cu-2.5% Mg/5 wt% SiC composite exhibit a 15.8%, 16.4%, 4.97% and 10.8% higher yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elastic modulus, and hardness, respectively. On the other hand, even if some porosity was observed in the Al2O3 reinforced composite, the percentage elongation (ductility) was 31% higher than that of SiC rein-forced composite. The tensile specimen of SiC reinforced composite failed in a brittle fashion without neck formation, whereas the Al2O3 reinforced composite failed in a ductile fashion with noticeable neck formation.

Tensile behavior of SiC_p/2124Al composites with various SiC particle sizes at room temperature

The tensile properties of 2124Al alloy composites reinforced with various sizes of SiC particles were investigated at room temperature. The size of SiC p was changed from 0.2 μm to 48.0 μm with an identical volume fraction of 20%. The results show that the relative density of the composite decreased with increase of the SiC p size from 3.0 μm to 48.0 μm, whereas 0.2 μm SiC p reinforced composite has the lowest relative density. The pore density, interparticle spacing, SiC particle cracking, SiC p/Al interfacial debonding, the distribution of SiC particles, in the composites are considered as factors to determine the failure behavior of the composites. [

Al 6061/SiC_p稀土转化膜的组成、结构及性能

A double layer Rare Earth Metal (REM) conversion coating process of Al 6061/SiCp metal matrix composites (MMC) was studied.The corrosion resistance of REM conversion coating was examined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).REM conversion coating produced very corrosion resistant surface of Al 6061/SiCp MMC.The X ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that REM conversion coatings exhibited non crystalline structure.The composition of REM conversion coating was studied by X ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).The coatings consisted of cerium oxide and hydrated cerium oxide.Some of Ce3+were oxidized to Ce4+during the formation of the first layer coating in the solution containing Ce3+.During the course of exposing the specimens in open air,some of the residual Ce3+were oxidized to Ce4+.REM conversion coating formed in the solution containing Ce4+consisted entirely of Ce4+compounds.

An ecofriendly approach for corrosion control of 6061 Al-15%(v)SiC(P)composite and its base alloy

Corrosion inhibition characteristics of bio polymer dextran was studied for the corrosion control of 6061 Al-15%_((v)) SiC_((P)) composite and its base alloy in 1 mol·L^(-1) HCl. Standard electrochemical techniques such as potentiodynamic polarization(PDP) measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) method were adopted for corrosion rate measurement. Surface morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and elemental mapping was done by energy dispersive X-ray(EDX) analysis. Suitable mechanism was proposed for corrosion and inhibition process. Results indicated that dextran acts as an excellent anticorrosive agent for the corrosion control of 6061 Al-15%_((v)) SiC_((P)) composite, with maximum inhibition efficiency of 91% for the concentration of 0.4 g·L^(-1) at 303 K. Dextran acted as a mixed type of inhibitor, and got physically adsorbed both on composite and base alloy by obeying Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Dextran is proved to be a green inhibitor with environmental and economic benefits.

Equal Channel Angular Pressing of Al-SiC Composites Fabricated by Stir Casting

Stir casting method was used to produce conventional metal matrix composites (MMC) with fairly homogenous dispersion of reinforcement material. Commercial pure aluminum and silicon carbide particles (50 μm) were selected as matrix and reinforcement materials respectively. The matrix was first completely melt and kept constant at 750°C. Then SiC powder preheated to 800°C was added during stirring action. No wetting agents were used. The melt mixture was poured into a metallic mold. The composite contents were adjusted to contain 5% and 10% SiC. The as-cast composites were processed by Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) route A. The microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. Results indicated that as cast AlSiC composites can be successfully fabricated via a cheap conventional stir casting method, giving fairly dispersed SiC particle distribution and having low porosity levels 3.6%. The mechanical properties have improved compared to as cast composites. ECAP technique has greatly reduced SiC particles from 50 to 3 μm. After the first ECAP pass, yield strength has almost twice its value in the as cast composites. The maximum yield of 245 MPa obtained after 8 passes is almost four times the corresponding values of the as cast MMC composites. Hardness has also increased to 1.5 times its value in the as cast composites after one ECAP pass. The maximum hardness of 71 HRB obtained after 8 passes, which is almost 3.5 times the corresponding values of the as cast MMC composites.

Microstructural and abrasive wear properties of SiC reinforced aluminum-based composite produced by compocasting

The effect of SiC particles reinforcement with average size of 1, 5, 20 and 50 μm and volume fraction of 5%, 10% and 15% on the microstructure and tribological properties of Al-based composite was investigated. Composites were produced by applying compocasting process. Tribological properties of the unreinforced alloy and composites were studied using pin-on-disc wear tester, under dry sliding conditions at different specific loads. The influence of secondary mechanical processing with different rolling reductions on the dry sliding wear characteristics of Al matrix composites was also assessed. Hardness measurement and scanning electron microscopy were used for microstructural characterization and investigation of worn surfaces and wear debris. The proper selection of process parameter such as pouring temperature, stirring speed, stirring time, pre-heated temperature of reinforcement can all influence the quality of the fabricated composites. The porosity level of composite should be minimized and the chemical reaction between the reinforcement and matrix should be avoided.

THE INTERFACIAL BEHAVIORS OF ALUMINUM MATRIX COMPOSITE IN DIFFERENT WELDING METHODS

Non-interlayer liquid phase diffusion welding (China Patent) and laser welding methods for aluminum matrix composite are mainly described in this paper. In the non-interlayer liquid phase diffusion welding, the key processing parameters affecting the strength of joint is welding temperature. When temperature rises beyond solidus temperature, the bonded line vanishes. The strength of joint reaches the maximum and becomes constant when welding temperature is close to liquid phase temperature. Oxide film in the interface is no longer detected by SEM in the welded joint. With this kind of technique, particle reinforced aluminum matrix composite Al2 O3p/6061Al is welded successfully, and the joint strength is about 80% of the strength of composite (as-casted). In the laser welding, results indicate that because of the huge specific surface area of the reinforcement, the interfacial reaction between the matrix and the reinforcement is restrained intensively at certain laser power and pulsed laser beam. The laser pulse frequency directly affects the reinforcement segregation and the reinforcement distribution in the weld, so that the weldability of the composite could be improved by increasing the laser pulse frequency. The maximum strength of the weld can reach 70% of the strength of the parent.

Taguchi approach to influence of processing parameters on erosive wear behaviour of Al7034-T6 composites

Taguchi technique was used to predict the influence of processing parameters on the erosive wear behavior Al7034-T6composite reinforced with SiC and Al2O3particles in different mass fractions.These hybrid metal matrix composites(HMMCs)werefabricated by using a simple technique called stir casting technique.Scanning electron microscope(SEM)was used to study thesurface morphology of the composite and its evolution according to processing time.The design of experiment(DOE)based onTaguchi’s L16orthogonal array was used to identify various erosion trials.The most influencing parameter affecting the wear rate wasidentified.The results indicate that erosion wear rate of this hybrid composite is greatly influenced more by filler content and impactvelocity respectively compared to other factors.This also shows the significant wear resistance with the increase in the filler contentsof SiC and Al2O3particles,respectively.

SiC_p/Al复合材料的制造及新动向

颗粒增强铝基复合材料是当前研究较多、比较成熟、应用较广泛的金属基复合材料,SiCp/Al是其中的一类。本文综述了SiCp/Al复合材料的发展状况、制备方法、存在的技术难题,提出了今后需要完善和进一步研究的方向。

SiC_P颗粒增强Al基复合材料的瞬间液相连接

采用Ni箔和Cu/Ni/Cu多层箔作中间层在 92 3K进行了SiC颗粒增强铝基复合材料的瞬间液相连接。研究表明 ,无压连接时 ,接头强度随保温时间延长有所增高 ,但界面处会存在纯金属 (无增强颗粒 )区域和氧化物夹杂 ,是导致接头强度不高的主要原因。加压TLP连接则能有效改善界面组织和接头性能。采用Cu/Ni/Cu多层箔作中间层加压连接时接头强度可达 189.6MPa ,约为母材强度的 85 %。

真空热压烧结SiC_p/Al复合材料的界面元素扩散及增强断裂机理

采用真空热压粉末冶金烧结工艺制备了含SiC颗粒体积分数分别为 5 %、15 %和 2 5 %的SiC颗粒增强铝基复合材料 ,结合其力学性能、扫描电镜和界面微区能谱分析结果 ,分析了SiC/Al复合材料的真空烧结过程中的界面现象 ,以及材料增强和断裂机理。结果表明 ,真空烧结过程中出现了界面反应 ,改善了界面结合强度 ,断裂破坏主要在基体上进行。随着SiC粒子体积分数的增加 ,SiCp/Al复合材料的抗拉强度增加 ,弹性模量显著增加 ,延伸率降低 ,材料脆性增加。

超声C扫描成像系统在SiC_p/Al复合材料无损检测中的应用

应用超声C扫描系统对SiCp Al复合材料进行无损检测 ,提供了一种能够直观显示复合材料内部缺陷截面图的检测方法。可以根据所得到的图形确定材料中缺陷的尺寸和形状 ,并根据缺陷形状和分布判定缺陷的性质。

SiC_p/Al复合材料镀金工艺研究

对SiC体积分数高达60%以上的SiCp/Al金属基复合材料进行镀金工艺实验,工艺分步实施化学镀镍、热处理、电镀镍、电镀金步骤,得到的镀层表面光滑平整,没有明显的结瘤和夹杂,与基材的结合力强。该工艺作为SiCp/Al可焊性表面处理技术之一,兼具可接触导通、良好的焊接性能、能兼容各种助焊剂,对于铝基复合材料表面处理具有十分重要意义。

SiC颗粒氧化行为及SiC_p/铝基复合材料界面特征

界面反应和界面产物对SiCp/Al基复合材料的性能具有重要影响。对SiCp 的高温氧化行为进行了试验研究。结果表明 :SiCp 氧化起始温度为 80 0～ 85 0℃ ,其氧化增量和氧化产物SiO2 的体积分数及厚度与高温氧化处理的保温时间呈抛物线关系。以氧化处理的SiCp 为增强体 ,含Mg铝合金为基体 ,通过挤压铸造工艺制备复合材料。利用TEM和FE TEM对所得的复合材料界面进行观察 ,结果表明 ,在SiCp 表面形成了一定数量的尖晶石(MgAl2 O4 ) ,其数量和尺寸与Mg含量有关。由此 ,通过控制SiCp 的氧化处理工艺参数和基体合金成分 。

Prediction and control of surface roughness for the milling of Al/SiC metal matrix composites based on neural networks

In recent years,there has been a significant increase in the utilization of Al/SiC particulate composite materials in engineering fields,and the demand for accurate machining of such composite materials has grown accordingly.In this paper,a feed-forward multi-layered artificial neural network(ANN)roughness prediction model,using the Levenberg-Marquardt backpropagation training algorithm,is proposed to investigate the mathematical relationship between cutting parameters and average surface roughness during milling Al/SiC particulate composite materials.Milling experiments were conducted on a computer numerical control(C N C)milling machine with polycrystalline diamond(PCD)tools to acquire data for training the ANN roughness prediction model.Four cutting parameters were considered in these experiments:cutting speed,depth of cut,feed rate,and volume fraction of SiC.These parameters were also used as inputs for the ANN roughness prediction model.The output of the model was the average surface roughness of the machined workpiece.A successfully trained ANN roughness prediction model could predict the corresponding average surface roughness based on given cutting parameters,with a 2.08%mea n relative error.Moreover,a roughness control model that could accurately determine the corresponding cutting parameters for a specific desired roughness with a 2.91%mean relative error was developed based on the ANN roughness prediction model.Finally,a more reliable and readable analysis of the influence of each parameter on roughness or the interaction between different parameters was conducted with the help of the ANN prediction model.

液态搅拌铸造SiC_p/ZL101复合材料研究

利用改进的机械搅拌法在液态下将氧化态SiC_p分散进ZL101合金液中,制备了SiC_p/ZL101复合材料。对该复合材料的复合工艺、组织和常规力学性能进行了研究。结果表明,SiC_p/ZL101复合材料中SiC_p分布均匀,与基体结合良好,SiC_p与基体界面上存在Mg和Si的富集。与基体合金相比,SiC_p/ZL101的硬度、抗拉强度和耐磨性,尤其是重载下的耐磨性显著提高,塑性虽然降低,但通过优化工艺可以使之降低得最少。