Aluminum matrix composites reinforced by in situ Al_2O_3 and Al_3Zr particles fabricated via magnetochemistry reaction

Aluminum matrix composites reinforced by in situ Al2O3 and Al3Zr particles are fabricated from A356-Zr(CO3)2 system via magnetochemistry reaction,and the morphologies,sizes and distributions of the in situ particles as well as the microstructures,mechanical mechanisms of the composites are investigated by XRD,SEM,TEM and in situ tensile tests.The results indicate that with the pulsed magnetic field assistance,the morphologies of the in situ particles are mainly with ball-shape,the sizes are in nanometer scale and the distributions in the matrix are uniform.The interfaces between the in situ particles and the aluminum matrix are net and no interfacial outgrowth is observed.These are due to the strong vibration induced by the applied magnetic field in the aluminum melt,which in turn,accelerates the melt reactions.The effects of the magnetic field on the above contributions are discussed in detail.

Damping properties and mechanism of aluminum matrix composites reinforced with glass cenospheres

The damping properties were improved by preparing Al matrix composites reinforced with glass cenospheres through the pressure infiltration method.Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were employed to characterize the microstructure of the composites.The low-frequency damping properties were examined by using a dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer,aiming at exploring the changing trend of damping capacity with strain,temperature,and frequency.The findings demonstrated that the damping value rose as temperature and strain increased,with a maximum value of 0.15.Additionally,the damping value decreased when the frequency increased.Dislocation damping under strain and interfacial damping under temperature served as the two primary damping mechanisms.The increase in the density of dislocation strong pinning points following heat treatment reduced the damping value,which was attributed to the heat treatment enhancement of the interfacial bonding force of the composites.

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%.

Effect of hot extrusion on microstructure and tribological behavior of Al_(2)O_(3p) reinforced 7075 aluminum-matrix composites

The effects of hot extrusion and addition of Al_(2)O_(3p) on both microstructure and tribological behavior of 7075 composites were investigated via optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS),and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The experimental consequences reveal that the optimal addition of Al_(2)O_(3p) was 2 wt%.After hot extrusion,the Mg(Zn,Cu,Al)2 phases partially dissolve into the matrix and generate many uniformly distributed aging precipitation particles,the Al_(7)Cu_(2)Fe phases are squeezed and broken,and the Al_(2)O_(3p) become uniform distribution.The microhardness of as-extruded 2 wt%Al_(2)O_(3p)/7075 composites reaches HV 170.34,increased by 41.5%than as-cast composites.The wear rate of as-extruded 2 wt%Al_(2)O_(3p)/7075 composites is further lower than that of as-cast composites under the same condition.SEM-EDS analyses reveal that the reinforced wear resistance of composites can put down to the protective effect of the Al_(2)O_(3p) reinforced transition layer.After hot extrusion,the transition layer becomes stable,which determines the reinforced wear resistance of the as-extruded composites.

Microstructure and Tribological Behavior of Al2O3 Particle Reinforced Al Matrix Composites Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering

Nanoparticles and microparticles reinforced Al matrix composites were fabricated by spark plasma sintering, and the microstructure and tribological properties were investigated systemically. The nano-Al2O3 particle and micro-Al2O3 particle uniformly dispersed in Al matrix composites. The introduction of nanoparticles is beneficial to the decrease of friction coefficient and wear rate, while microparticles are responsible to the high friction coefficient, resulting in the abrasive wear. With the introduction of both nanoparticles and microparticles, their synergic effect will lead to the variation of tribological behavior.

Study on Interface between Sub-micron Particles and Matrix in Al_2O_3p/Al Composites

The microstructural characteristic of 1070AI matrix composites reinforced by 0.15 祄 AI2O3 particles whose volume fraction was 40% was investigated by TEM and HREM. The results showed that the interface between the matrix and reinforcements was clean and bonded well, without any interfacial reaction products. There were some preferential crystallographic orientation relationships between Al matrix and AI2O3 particle because of the lattice imperfection on the surface of Al2O3 particles.

Corrosion Behavior of Alumina Reinforced Aluminium (6063) Metal Matrix Composites

The influence of alumina volume percent and solution heat-treatment on the corrosion behaviour of Al (6063) composites and its monolithic alloy in salt water, basic and acidic environments is investigated. Al (6063) – Al2O3 particulate composites containing 6, 9, 15, and 18 volume percent alumina were produced by adopting two step stir casting. Mass loss and corrosion rate measurements were utilized as criteria for evaluating the corrosion behaviour of the composites. It is observed that Al (6063) – Al2O3 composites exhibited excellent corrosion resistance in NaCl medium than in the NaOH and H2SO4 media. The unreinforced alloy exhibited slightly superior corrosion resistance than the composites in NaCl and NaOH media but the composites had better corrosion resistance in H2SO4 medium. Furthermore, solution heat-treatment resulted in improved corrosion resistance for both the composites and the unreinforced alloy while the effect of volume percent alumina on corrosion resistance did not follow a consistent trend.

Corrosion Behavior of SiC_p/2024 Al Matrix Composites in 3.5 wt pct Sodium Chloride

The influences of volume fraction and particle size of SiC particulate reinforcements on the corrosion characteristics of SiCp/2024 Al metal matrix composites in aerated 3.5 wt pct NaCI aqueous solution were investigated. The electrochemical behavior was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the general corrosion behavior of the composites was studied further by immersion tests. The results showed that pitting susceptibility was about the same for the composites and the alloy. The corrosion potentials were also independent of SiC phase. The corrosion resistance for the composites decreased as the volume fraction increased or particle size decreased.

In situ formation of Zr_2Al_3C_4/Al_2O_3 composites by combustion synthesis with PTFE and thermal activations

Preparation of Zr2Al3C4-Al2O3 in situ composites was investigated by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis(SHS)involving both aluminothermic reduction of ZrO2 and chemical activation of PTFE(Teflon).The starting materials included ZrO2,Al,carbon black and PTFE.In addition to the conventional SHS method,the experiments were conducted by a chemical-oven SHS(COSHS)route to thermally assist the synthesis reaction.The threshold amount of 2%(mass fraction)PTFE was required to induce self-sustaining combustion.When the conventional SHS scheme was utilized,due to low combustion temperatures between 1152 and 1272°C and insufficient reaction time,the dominant carbide forming in the composite was ZrC instead of Zr2Al3C4.On the other hand,the COSHS technique increased the combustion temperature of the reactant compact to about 1576°C,lengthened the high-temperature duration for the reaction,and prevented Al vapor from escaping away.As a consequence,Zr2Al3C4-Al2O3 composites with a small amount of Zr3Al3C5 were obtained.The microstructure of the COSHS-derived product showed that plate-like Zr2Al3C4 grains were about 2μm in thickness and 10-30μm in length,and most of them were closely stacked into a laminated configuration.

WC-Ni_3Al-B composites prepared through Ni+Al elemental powder route

In order to develop the liquid phase sintering process of WC-Ni3Al-B composites,the preparation process of WC＋Ni3Al prealloyed powder by reaction synthesis of carbonyl Ni,analytical purity Al and coarse WC powders was investigated.DSC and XRD were adopted to study the procedure of phase transformation for the 3Ni＋Al and 70%WC＋（3Ni＋Al） mixed powders in temperature ranges of 550-1200 °C and 25-1400 °C,respectively.The results demonstrate that the formation mechanism of Ni3Al depends on the reaction temperature.Besides WC phase,there exist Ni2Al3,NiAl and Ni3Al intermetallics in the powder mixture after heat treatment at 200-660 °C,while only NiAl and Ni3Al exist at 660-1100 °C.Homogeneous WC＋Ni3Al powder mixture can be obtained in the temperature range of 1100-1200 °C.The WC-30%（Ni3Al-B） composites prepared from the mixed powders by conventional powder metallurgy technology show nearly full density and the shape of WC is round.WC-30%（Ni3Al-B） composites exhibit higher hardness of 9.7 GPa,inferior bending strength of 1800 MPa and similar fracture toughness of 18 MPa-m1/2 compared with commercial cemented carbides YGR45（WC-30%（Co-Ni-Cr））.

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.

Development of Al-12Si-xTi system active ternary filler metals for Al metal matrix composites

To improve the wettability of Al metal matrix composites（Al-MMCs） by common filler metals,Al-12Si-xTi（x=0.1,0.5,1,3.0;mass fraction,%） system active ternary filler metals were prepared.It was demonstrated that although the added Ti existed within Ti（Al1-xSix）3（0≤x≤0.15） phase,the shear strength and shear fracture surface of the developed Al-12Si-xTi brazes were quite similar to those of traditional Al-12Si braze due to the presence of similar microstructure of Al-Si eutectic microstructure with large volume fraction.So,small Ti addition（～1%） did not make the active brazes brittle and hard compared with the conventional Al-12Si braze.The measured melting range of each Al-12Si-xTi foil was very similar,i.e.,580-590 ℃,because the composition was close to that of eutectic.For wettability improvement,with increasing Ti content,the interfacial gap between the Al2O3 reinforcement and filler metal（R/M） could be eliminated,and the amount of the remainder of the active fillers on the composite substrate decreased after sessile drop test at 610 ℃ for 30 min.So,the wettability improvement became easy to observe repeatedly with increasing Ti content.Additionally,the amount and size of Ti（AlSi）3 phase were sensitive to the Ti content（before brazing） and Si content（after brazing）.

Wear behavior of Al-Si alloy matrix composites reinforced by γ-Al_2O_3 decomposed from AACH

The Al-Si alloy matrix composite reinforced by γ-Al2O3 particles was produced by adding NH4AlO(OH)HCO3(AACH) into molten Al-Si alloy at 850 ℃. During stirring γ-Al2O3 particles are formed by the decomposing reaction of AACH. It is found that the γ-Al2O3 particles distribute more uniformly in the matrix by adding AACH than by adding γ-Al2O3 directly. The wear tests show that the volume loss of the unreinforced Al-Si alloy matrix is about 3 times larger than that of the γ-Al2O3 reinforced composites and that of the composites fabricated by adding γ-Al2O3 is larger than that by adding AACH.

Micro-yield behaviors of Al_2O_3-SiO_(2(sf))/Al-Si metal matrix composites

Effects of the volume fraction and the size of crystallized alumina silicate short fibers as well as heat treatment processes on micro-yield strength(MYS) of Al2O3-SiO2(sf)/Al-Si metal matrix composite(MMC) that was fabricated by squeezing cast, were investigated by using continuous loading method on an Instron 5569 tester with a special extensometer with an accuracy of 10?7. The results show that MYS of MMC decreases with the increase of volume fraction and length of the alumina silicate short fibers in the metal matrix composite, respectively. MYS of quenched Al2O3-SiO2(sf)/Al-Si MMC is the lowest, MYS of the MMC through peak-aging treatment is higher than that through other heat treatment methods. And before the peak-aging, MYS of MMC aging treated gradually increases with the increase of the aging time. Aging treatment after solution treatment is a preferred way that enhances micro and macro-yield strength of Al2O3-SiO2(sf)/Al-Si MMC.

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.

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.

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.

Effect of Interfacial Bonding on the Toughening of Al_2O_3/Ni Ceramic Matrix Composites

The main Iimitation to the toughening of the α-Al2O3/Ni composite is the poor bonding atthe interface. which causes the nickel particles to be pulled-out during crack propagation with-out obvious plastic deformation. A proper control of oxygen content at the Al2O3-Ni interfacecan promote wetting at the intedece, and produce a mechanically interlocked and chemically strengthened intedece, causing most of the nickel particles to be stretched to failure and to expe-rience severe plastic deformation during crack propagation in the composite. Fracture toughnesstesting using a modified double cantilever beam method with in situ observation of crack prop-agation in a scanning electron microscope shows that the composite with the strengthenedinterface has a more desirable R-curve behaviour and a higher fracture toughness value than thenormal composite.

Identification of Growth Promoter to Fabrication SiCp/Al₂O₃Ceramic Matrix Composites Prepared by Directed Metal Oxidation of An Al Alloy

SiC particulates reinforced alumina matrix composites were fabricated using Directed Metal Oxidation (DIMOX) process. Continuous oxidation of an Al-Si-Mg-Zn alloy with different interlayers (dopents) as growth promoters, will encompasses the early heating of the alloy ingot, melting and continued heating to temperature in the narrow range of 950°C to 980°C in an atmosphere of oxygen. Varying interlayers (dopents) are incorporated to examine the growth conditions of the composite materials and to identification of suitable growth promoter. The process is extremely difficult because molten aluminum does not oxidize after prolonged duration at high temperatures due to the formation of a passivating oxide layer. It is known that the Lanxide Corporation had used a combination of dopents to cause the growth of alumina from molten metal. This growth was directed, i.e. the growth is allowed only in the required direction and restricted in the other directions. The react nature of the dopants was a trade secret. Though it is roughly known that Mg and Si in the Al melt can aid growth, additional dopents used, the temperatures at which the process was carried out, the experimental configurations that aided directed growth were not precisely known. In this paper we have evaluated the conditions in which composites can be grown in large enough sizes for evaluation application and have arrived at a procedure that enables the fabrication of large composite samples by determining the suitable growth promoter (dopant). Scanning electron microscopic, EDS analysis of the composite was found to contain a continuous network of Al2O3, which was predominantly free of grain-boundary phases, a continuous network of Al alloy. Fabrication of large enough samples was done only by the inventor company and the property measurements by the company were confirmed to those needed to enable immediate applications. Since there are a large number of variable affecting robust growth of the composite, fabrication large sized samples for measurements is a difficult task. In the present work, to identify a suitable window of parameters that enables robust growth of the composite has been attempted.

Effect of Ni content on the wear behavior of Al-Si-Cu-Mg-Ni/SiC particles composites

In recent years,the addition of Ni has been widely acknowledged to be capable of enhancing the mechanical properties of Al-Si alloys.However,the effect of Ni on the wear behaviors of Al-Si alloys and Al matrix composites,particularly at elevated temperat-ures,remains an understudied area.In this study,Al-Si-Cu-Mg-Ni/20wt%SiC particles(SiCp)composites with varying Ni contents were prepared by using a semisolid stir casting method.The effect of Ni content on the dry sliding wear behavior of the prepared compos-ites was investigated through sliding tests at 25 and 350℃.Results indicated that theθ-Al_(2)Cu phase gradually diminished and eventually disappeared as the Ni content increased from 0wt%to 3wt%.This change was accompanied by the formation and increase inδ-Al_(3)CuNi andε-Al_(3)Ni phases in microstructures.The hardness and ultimate tensile strength of the as-cast composites improved,and the wear rates of the composites decreased from 5.29×10^(−4)to 1.94×10^(−4)mm^(3)/(N∙m)at 25℃and from 20.2×10^(−4)to 7×10^(−4)mm^(3)/(N∙m)at 350℃with the increase in Ni content from 0wt%to 2wt%.The enhancement in performance was due to the presence of strengthening network structures and additional Ni-containing phases in the composites.However,the wear rate of the 3Ni composite was approximately two times higher than that of the 2Ni composite due to the fracture and debonding of theε-Al_(3)Ni phase.Abrasive wear,delamination wear,and oxidation wear were the predominant wear mechanisms of the investigated composites at 25℃,whereas delamination wear and oxid-ation wear were dominant during sliding at 350℃.