Interface reaction in aluminium matrix composite at laser welding

Interface reaction of SiC w/6061Al aluminium matrix composite subjected to laser welding was studied. It is pointed out that the main reason for bad weldability of the material is concerned with the interface reaction during the welding. Effects of welding parameters on interface reaction were also investigated. The results show that the interface bonding state can be improved by laser beam, and the main welding parameter affecting the strength of weld is laser output power. The smaller the output power, the lower the extent of interface reaction and the better the mechanical properties.

Study on Diffusion Welding Parameters of Particle reinforced Aluminium Matrix Composite Al_2O_(3p) /6061Al

Effects of diffusion welding process parameters on strength of welded joint based on particle reinforced aluminium matrix composite Al 2O 3p /6061Al have been studied through comparing with aluminium matrix alloy. The mechanism for loss of joint strength has been analyzed. It should be pointed out that key processing parameters affecting the strength of joint was welding temperature. The high quality joint can be successfully obtained with appropriate diffusion welding parameters.

Compression Mechanical Behaviour of 7075 Aluminium Matrix Composite Reinforced with Nano-sized SiC Particles in Semisolid State

The 7075 aluminium matrix composite reinforced with nano-sized Si C particles was fabricated by ultrasonic assisted semisolid stirring method. The compression mechanical behaviour of the fabricated composite in semisolid state was investigated. The results show that the microstructure of the composite before semisolid compression consists of fine and spheroidal solid grains surrounded by liquid phase.Semisolid compression led to a nonuniform plastic deformation of solid grains. A slight plastic deformation occurred in the locations near the free surface due to the dependence of deformation on liquid flow and flow of liquid incorporating solid grains. However, obvious plastic deformation occurred in the central location and location contacting to die due to the contribution of plastic deformation of solid grains.The true stress–strain curve of the sample compressed at 500 °C consists of rapid increase of true stress and steady stage. However, rapid increase of true stress and decrease of true stress and steady stage are involved in the true stress–strain curves of the samples compressed at 550, 560, 570, 580 and 590 °C.The true stress–strain curve at 600 °C is similar to that at 500 °C. Apparent viscosity decreases with an increase of shear rate, indicating a shear thinning occurrence. When soaking time increases from 5 min to 15 min, the peak stress and steady stress decrease significantly. A further increase of the soaking time led to a slight change. Peak stress and steady stress increase with increasing volume fraction of Si C particles. A sudden increase or decrease of compression velocity led to a significant increase or decrease of the steady stress. The destruction of the samples compressed at solid state temperature mainly depends on cracks parallel to compression direction. However, the destruction forms of the samples compressed at semisolid temperatures consist of cracks parallel to compression direction and partial collapse. Increasing soaking time led to an obvious change of the destruction forms. Compression velocity affects slightly the macro appearance of the sample compressed at semisolid temperatures.

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).

STUDY ON DIFFUSION WELDING OF ALUMINIUN MATRIX COMPOSITE

Effects of diffusion welding parameters on strength of welded joint based on particle reinforced alumini- um matrix composite Al2O3p/6061Al were studied by comparing with aluminium matrix alloy,Mecha- nism for the loss of joint strength was analyzed.It was pointed out that the key processing parameters affecting the strength of joint was the welding temperature.The high quality joint can be successfully obtained with appropriate diffusion welding parameters.

Mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms of aluminum matrix composites reinforced by Al_9(Co,Ni)_2 intermetallics

The microstructures and mechanical properties of Al matrix composites reinforced by different volume fractions of Al-Ni-Co intermetallic particles were investigated.Three different volume fractions of Al-Ni-Co particles were added to pure Al matrix using a stir-casting method.Microstructural analysis shows that with the increasing of the reinforcement volume fraction,the matrix grain size decreases and the porosity increases.The mechanical properties of the composites are improved over the matrix materials,except for the decreasing of the ductility.Fracture surface examination indicates that there is a good interfacial bonding between the Al matrix and the Al-Ni-Co particles and the fracture initiation does not occur at the particle-matrix interface.

Study on behavior of reinforcement in molten pool for submicron composite Al_2O_3p/6061 Al during laser welding

The behavior of the reinforcement of submicron composite Al_ 2 O_ 3 p/6061Al in molten pool during laser welding was studied. It was indicated that because there were the remarkable differences in thermal physical properties between matrix and reinforcement particulate, the reinforced particulate was pushed forward during molten pool solidification by the liquid-solid interface in matrix and the reinforced particulate segregated in the weld. It resulted in noticeable degradation in properties of the welded joint. The technology methods to improve the behavior of reinforcement were also investigated. It was pointed out that the laser pulse frequency is the main welding parameter affecting the distributive state of reinforcement, and the theory basis was established for welding the material by laser beam.

SOLIDIFICATION MECHANISM OF Al/TiC INTRAGRANULAR COMPOSITES FABRICATED BY CONTACT REACTION METHOD

The behaviour of the particles in solidification inter face front was studied, and the equation of the critical interface velocity which related to the supercooling and the volume fraction of particles in the melt was obtained. By the mean time, the two solidification mechanisms of aluminium matrix intragranular composites was put forward.

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.

Enhancing strength and ductility of AlSi10Mg fabricated by selective laser melting by TiB_(2)nanoparticles

In the metallic components fabricated by the emerging selective laser melting(SLM)technology,most strategies used for strengthening the materials sacrifice the ductility,leading to the so-called strengthductility trade-off.In the present study,we report that the strength and ductility of materials can be enhanced simultaneously by introducing nanoparticles,which can break the trade-off of the metallic materials.In the case of in-situ nano-TiB_(2)decorated AlSi10Mg composites,the introduced nanoparticles lead to columnar-to-equiaxed transition,grain refinement and texture elimination.With increasing content of nanoparticles,the strength increases continually.Significantly,the ductility first increases and then decreases.Our results show that the ductility is controlled by the competition between the crack-induced catastrophic fracture and ductile fracture associated with dislocation activities.The first increase of ductility is mainly attributed to the suppression of crack-induced catastrophic fracture when TiB_(2)nanoparticles present.With the further increase of TiB_(2)nanoparticles,the subsequent decrease of ductility is mainly controlled by dislocation activities.Thus,the materials will exhibit the optimum strength and ductility combination in a certain range of TiB_(2)nanoparticles.This study clarifies the physical mechanism controlling ductility for nano-TiB_(2)decorated Al Si10Mg composites,which provides the insights for the design of structural materials.