Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Multiscale SiC_p Hybrid Reinforced 6061 Aluminum Matrix Composites

The performance of solid solution aging treatment on aluminum matrix composites prepared by powder metallurgy and reinforced with 6061 aluminum alloy powder as matrix;meanwhile, nano silicon carbide particles(nm Si Cp), submicron silicon carbide particles(1 μm Si Cp) and Ti particles were studied. The Al/Si Cp composite powder was prepared by high-energy ball milling, and then cold-pressed, sintered, hotextruded, and then heat-treated with different solution temperatures and aging times for the extruded composites. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS), X-ray diffractometer(XRD) and extrusion testing were used to analyze and test the microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminum matrix composites. The results show that after the multi-stage solid solution at 530 ℃×2 h+535 ℃×2 h+540 ℃×2 h, the particles are mainly equiaxed grains and uniformly distributed. There is no reinforcement agglomeration, and the surface is dense and the insoluble phase is basically dissolved. In the matrix, the strengthening effect is good, and the hardness and compressive strength are 179.43 HV and 680.42 MPa, respectively. Under this solution process, when the aluminum matrix composites are aged at 170 ℃ for 10 h, the hardness and compressive strength can reach their peaks and increase to 195.82 HV and 721.48 MPa, respectively.

Microstructure and mechanical properties characterization of AA6061/TiC aluminum matrix composites synthesized by in situ reaction of silicon carbide and potassium fluotitanate

Aluminum alloys AA6061 reinforced with various amounts （0, 2.5% and 5%, mass fraction） of TiC particles were synthesized by the in situ reaction of inorganic salt K2TiF6 and ceramic particle SiC with molten aluminum. The casting was carried out at an elevated temperature and held for a longer duration to decompose SiC to release carbon atoms. X-ray diffraction patterns of the prepared AMCs clearly revealed the formation of TiC particles without the occurrence of any other intermetallic compounds. The microstructure of the prepared AA6061/TiC AMCs was studied using field emission scanning electron microscope （FESEM） and electron backscatter diffraction （EBSD）. The in situ formed TiC particles were characterized with homogeneous distribution, clear interface, good bonding and various shapes such as cubic, spherical and hexagonal. EBSD maps showed the grain refinement action of TiC particles on the produced composites. The formation of TiC particles boosted the microhardness and ultimate tensile strength （UTS） of the AMCs.

Microstructure and properties of mechanical alloying particles reinforced aluminum matrix composites prepared by semisolid stirring pouring method

Aluminum matrix composites reinforced with mechanical alloying particles(SiC_p) were fabricated by the semisolid stirring pouring method. The inf luence of mechanical alloying particles and Mg on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites was investigated by means of optical microscopy(OM), X-ray diffraction scanning(XRD), electron microscopy(SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS). Results show that the addition of Mg converts the agglomerate mechanical al oying particles in ZL101 matrix composites into dispersed distribution in ZL101-Mg matrix composites, large matrix grains into f ine equiaxed matrix grains, and eutectic phase into f ine particles. So the mechanical properties of ZL101-Mg matrix composites are better than those of ZL101 matrix composites. The mechanical properties of ZL101/ZL101-Mg matrix composites are gradually increased with the increase of the volume fraction of mechanical alloying particles. When the volume fraction of mechanical alloying particles is 3%, the Vickers hardness and ultimate tensile strength of the ZL101/ZL101-Mg matrix composites reach their maximum values.

Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure,mechanical properties and fracture behaviors of ultra-high-strength SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composites

A high-zinc composite,12vol%SiC/Al-13.3 Zn-3.27 Mg-1.07Cu(wt%),with an ultra-high-strength of 781 MPa was success-fully fabricated through a powder metallurgy method,followed by an extrusion process.The effects of solid-solution and aging heat treat-ments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite were extensively investigated.Compared with a single-stage sol-id-solution treatment,a two-stage solid-solution treatment(470℃/1 h+480℃/1 h)exhibited a more effective solid-solution strengthen-ing owing to the higher degree of solid-solution and a more uniform microstructure.According to the aging hardness curves of the com-posite,the optimized aging parameter(100℃/22 h)was determined.Reducing the aging temperature and time resulted in finer and more uniform nanoscale precipitates but only yielded a marginal increase in tensile strength.The fractography analysis revealed that intergranu-lar cracking and interface debonding were the main fracture mechanisms in the ultra-high-strength SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composites.Weak regions,such as the SiC/Al interface containing numerous compounds and the precipitate-free zones at the high-angle grain boundaries,were identified as significant factors limiting the strength enhancement of the composite.Interfacial compounds,including MgO,MgZn2,and Cu5Zn8,reduced the interfacial bonding strength,leading to interfacial debonding.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Si Cp/2024 Aluminum Matrix Composite

SiCp/2024 aluminum alloy matrix composite was prepared by powder metallurgy method. Effects of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of composite were investigated by SEM, EDS, XRD, HREM, tensile and hardness tests. The experimental results showed that SiC particles distributed uniformly in the matrix and were in good combination with matrix. The tensile strength and hardness were improved significantly after heat treatment. With the increase of solid solution temperature, the alloy phases dissolved in the matrix gradually. When the solid solution temperature arrived at 505 ℃, the alloy phases dissolved thoroughly, and the composite exhibited the highest tensile strength and hardness（σb=360 MPa, HBS=104）. The main strengthening phase was Al2Cu, which was granular and distributed dispersively in the matrix. Effect of T6 was better than that of T4 at the same solid solution temperature.

Effects of nano-SiC_p content on microstructure and mechanical properties of SiC_p/A356 composites assisted with ultrasonic treatment

nano-SiCp/A356 composites with different nano-SiCp contents were prepared by squeeze casting after ultrasonic treatment（UT）. The effects of SiCp content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were investigated. Theresults show that with the addition of nano-SiCp, the microstructure of nanocomposites is obviously refined, the morphology of theα（Al） grains transforms from coarse dendrites to rosette crystals, and long acicular eutectic Si phases are shortened and rounded. Themechanical properties of 0.5%, 1% and 2% （mass fraction） SiCp/A356 nanocomposites are improved continuously with the increaseof nano-SiCp content. Especially, when the SiCp content is 2%, the tensile strength, yield strength and elongation are 259 MPa,144 MPa and 5.3%, which are increased by 19%, 69% and 15%, respectively, compared with those of the matrix alloy. Theimprovement of strength is attributed to mechanisms of Hall？Petch strengthening and Orowan strengthening.

Effect of aluminum borate whisker coating on interface and mechanical properties of 6061Al matrix composites

Copper coating was deposited on the surface of aluminum borate whisker by an electroless plating method.This method was used to modify the interfacial property of squeeze-casting aluminum borate whisker reinforced 6061Al matrix composite.Interface observation indicates that the spinel reaction(MgAl2O4) is hindered by the copper coating,and the difference in interfacial reaction degree affects the tensile property and aging behavior of the composite.For the composite with less spinel reaction(MgAl2O4),its peak-aging process are postponed due to less depletion of magnesium.On the fracture surface of copper-coated composite dimples and fractures of whiskers are more,but on the fracture surface of uncoated composite pull-out of whiskers are more than that on the coated one.In uncoated composite the fracture generally originates from the near-interface-region.

Fabrication and mechanical properties of MWCNTs-reinforced aluminum composites by hot extrusion

Over the past decade,the interest in aluminum composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes has grown significantly.Studies have been carried out to overcome problems with uniform dispersion,interfacial bonding,void formation and carbide formation of the composites.In the present work,multi-wall carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs) aluminum composites were produced.High-energy ball milling with the aim at developing well-dispersed MWCNTs Al composites was followed by cold compaction,sintering,and hot extrusion at 500 ℃.Different amounts of stearic acid as processing control agent(PCA) is used in order to minimize cold welding of the Al particles,and to produce finer particles.Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and X-ray diffraction(XRD) were employed to analyze the MWCNTs,the aluminum powder,and the composites’ microstructural behavior.The hardness and tensile properties of the composites are also evaluated.The results showed 500% increase in yield stress after the addition of 1 wt% MWCNTs in Al-MWCNTs based composite.The ball-milling time of 4 h is found to be sufficient as excessive milling time destroys a vast number of MWCNTs.

Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Yttria Coated-Alumina Particulates Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites

The liquid-phase coating method was used to deposit Y2O3 ceramic on the surface of α-Al2O3. The coated-Al2O3p/6061AI composites were produced using squeeze casting technology. The microstructure and tensile properties of the composites were analysed and studied. The results showed that the coated AI2O3 particles are able to disperse homogeneously in the aluminum liquid. The microstructure of the composites is more even in comparison with that of as-received powders. The tensile testing indicated that mechanical properties of the coated-AI2O3p/6061AI composites are better than those of uncoated particles. In the composite with 30% volume fraction, the tensile strength, yield strength as well as elongation is increased by 29.8%, 38.4% and 10.3%, respectively. The SEM analysis of fracture indicated that the dimples of the coated-Al2O3p/6061Al composites are more even.

Mechanical Properties of Laser Welded Joints of High Volume Fraction SiCp/Al Aluminum Matrix Composite

High volume fraction SiCp/Al aluminum matrix composite possesses a variety of outstanding properties,such as high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion.It is widely applied in many fields,especially in automotive and aerospace.An orthogonal experiment is conducted to study the effects of relevant parameters on the mechanical properties by CO2 laser.Then the micro-hardness in different regions is measured.The effects of such parameters as laser power,middle layer thickness and welding speed on the tensile strength of the welded joints are discussed.The experimental results indicate that the maximum of the tensile strength of the welded joints is attained at the laser power of 1 200 W,the welding speed of 1.5 m/min and the middle layer thickness of 0.3 mm.In addition,the mechanism of the improvement of micro-hardness on the weld bead is also analyzed.ing technology, surface tribology, wetting behavior and friction reduction.

Aluminum matrix composites reinforced by molybdenum-coated carbon nanotubes

To extend the application of carbon nanotubes （CNTs） and explore novel aluminum matrix composites,CNTs were coated by molybdenum layers using metal organic chemical vapor deposition,and then Mo-coated CNT （Mo-CNT）/Al composites were prepared by the combination processes of powder mixing and spark plasma sintering.The influences of powder mixing and Mo-CNT content on the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the composites were investigated.The results show that magnetic stirring is better than mechanical milling for mixing the Mo-CNTs and Al powders.The electrical conductivity of the composites decreases with increasing Mo-CNT content.When the Mo-CNT content is 0.5wt%,the tensile strength and hardness of Mo-CNT/Al reach their maximum values.The tensile strength of 0.5wt% Mo-CNT/Al increases by 29.9%,while the electrical conductivity only decreases by 7.1%,relative to sintered pure Al.The phase analysis of Mo-CNT/Al composites reveals that there is no formation of Al carbide in the composites.

Comparative study on the interface and mechanical properties of T700/Al and M40/Al composites

T700/Al and M40/Al composites were fabricated by squeeze casting technology, and their interface and mechanical properties were investigated comparatively. The results showed that both of the composites were dense, and the fibers were distributed uniformly in aluminum matrix. Aluminum carbide （Al4C3） was observed on the interface of the two carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum （Cf/Al） composites. There was little Al4C3 with a length of 300-500 nm and a width of 30-60 nm in the M40/Al composite, whereas there was a great deal of Al4C3 with a length of 200-400 nm and a width of 100-200 nm in the T700/Al composite, due to a higher graphitization of M40Cf than T700Cf. The M40/Al composite showed a much higher tensile strength than the TT00/Al composite, and it was related to interracial bonding between carbon fibers and aluminum matrices.

Effect of graphite powder as a forming filler on the mechanical properties of SiCp/Al composites by pressure infiltration

（38vo1% SiCp ＋ 2vo1% A1203f）/2024 A1 composites were fabricated by pressure infiltration. Graphite powder was introduced as a forming filler in preform preparation, and the effects of the powder size on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the final com- posites were investigated. The results showed that the composite with 15 μm graphite powder as a forming filler had the maximum tensile strength of 506 MPa, maximum yield strength of 489 MPa, and maximum elongation of 1.2%, which decreased to 490 MPa, 430 MPa, and 0.4%, respectively, on increasing the graphite powder size from 15 to 60 μm. The composite with 60 μm graphite powder showed the highest elastic modulus, and the value decreased from 129 to 113 GPa on decreasing the graphite powder size from 60 to 15 μm. The differences between these properties are related to the different microstructures of the corresponding composites, which determine their failure modes.

Graphene-reinforced aluminum matrix composites prepared by spark plasma sintering

Graphene-reinforced 7055 aluminum alloy composites with different contents of graphene were prepared by spark plasma sintering（SPS）. The structure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Testing results show that the hardness, compressive strength, and yield strength of the composites are improved with the addition of 1wt% graphene. A clean, strong interface is formed between the metal matrix and graphene via metallurgical bonding on atomic scale. Harmful aluminum carbide（Al_4C_3） is not formed during SPS processing. Further addition of graphene（above 1wt%） results in the deterioration in mechanical properties of the composites. The agglomeration of graphene plates is exacerbated with increasing graphene content, which is the main reason for this deterioration.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of in-situ TiB2/Al−xSi−0.3Mg composites

In-situ 2 vol.%TiB2 particle reinforced Al−xSi−0.3Mg(x=7,9,12,15 wt.%)composites were prepared by the salt−metal reaction,and the microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated.The results show that the TiB2 particles with a diameter of 20−80 nm and the eutectic Si with a length of 1−10μm are the main strengthening phases in the TiB2/Al−xSi−0.3Mg composites.The TiB2 particles promote grain refinement and modify the eutectic Si from needle-like to short-rod shape.However,the strengthening effect of TiB2 particles is weakened as the Si content exceeds the eutectic composition,which can be attributed to the formation of large and irregular primary Si.The axial tensile test results and fractography observations indicate that these composites show more brittle fracture characteristics than the corresponding alloy matrixes.

Mechanical properties and friction behaviors of CNT/AlSi_(10)Mg composites produced by spark plasma sintering

The mechanical properties and friction behaviors of CNT/AlSi10Mg composites produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS) were investigated. The results showed that the densities of the sintered composites gradually increased with increasing sintering temperature and that the highest microhardness and compressive strength were achieved in the specimen sintered at 450A degrees C. CNTs dispersed uniformly in the Al-Si10Mg matrix when the addition of CNTs was less than 1.5wt%. However, when the addition of CNTs exceeded 1.5wt%, the aggregation of CNTs was clearly observed. Moreover, the mechanical properties (including the densities, compressive strength, and microhardness) of the composites changed with CNT content and reached a maximum value when the CNT content was 1.5wt%. Meanwhile, the minimum average friction coefficient and wear rate of the CNT/AlSi10Mg composites were obtained with 1.0wt% CNTs.

Influence of Deep Cryogenic Treatment on Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of an Ultrafine-Grained WC-12Co Cemented Carbide

Effect of deep cryogenic treatment （DCT） on the microstructures and mechanical behavior of ultrafine-grained WC-12Co cemented carbide was investigated by using XRD, SEM, and DSC. The phase transformations of pure Co and binder phase Co in cemented carbide were analyzed in detail to correlate the strengthening mechanism with its x -ε, phase transition. The results show that DCT resulted in a slight increase in hardness and bending strength of ultrafine- grained WC-12Co cemented carbide. For the ultrafine-grained cemented carbide after DCT, there is no significant change in the microstructure and the elemental distribution of the cemented carbides, but the fractured morphology shows a feature of plastic deformation. In the cases of pure Co and the binder phase Co in WC-12Co cemented carbide, they exhibit different features of phase transformation. The improvement of mechanical property of cemented carbide can be attributed to the increased amount of ε-Co in WC-12Co composites after DCT.

Effect of Hot-Plate Rolling on the Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of In-Situ Nano-TiC_(P)/Al-Mg-Si Composites

The hot-plate rolling(HPR)process is adopted to achieve the optimal strength-ductility for the in-situ nano-TiC_(P)/Al-Mg-Si composites.There was no crack in the sheet by single pass of hot-plate rolling with a thickness reduction of 80%,while there were numerous cracks in the sheet by two passes of conventional hot rolling to achieve a total reduction of 50%.The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites subjected to 80%thickness reduction of hot rolling at 540℃were investigated by tensile tests,scanning electron microscopy,and electron backscatter diffraction.The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of in-situ nano-TiC_(P)/Al-Mg-Si composites after the hot-plate rolling process and T6 heat treatment increased significantly due to the dislocation strengthening and precipitation strengthening.

Effect of Trace Addition of Ceramic on Microstructure Development and Mechanical Properties of Selective Laser Melted AlSi10Mg Alloy

Selective laser melting(SLM)is an emerging additive manufacturing technology for fabricating aluminum alloys and aluminum matrix composites.Nevertheless,it remains unclear how to improve the properties of laser manufactured aluminum alloy by adding ceramic reinforcing particles.Here the effect of trace addition of TiB2 ceramic(1%weight fraction)on microstructural and mechanical properties of SLM-produced AlSi10Mg composite parts was investigated.The densification level increased with increasing laser power and decreasing scan speed.A near fully dense composite part(99.37%)with smooth surface morphology and elevated inter-layer bonding was successfully obtained.A decrease of lattice plane distance was identified by X-ray diffraction with the laser scan speed decreased,which implied that the crystal lattices were distorted due to the dissolution of Si and TiB2 particles.A homogeneous composite microstructure with the distribution of surface-smoothened TiB2 particles was present,and a small amount of Si particles precipitated at the interface between reinforcing particles and matrix.In contrast to the AlSi10Mg alloy,the composites showed a stabilized microhardness distribution.A higher ultimate tensile strength of 380.0 MPa,yield strength of 250.4 MPa and elongation of 3.43%were obtained even with a trace amount of ceramic addition.The improvement of tensile properties can be attributed to multiple mechanisms including solid solution strengthening,load-bearing strengthening and dispersion strengthening.This research provides a theoretical basis for ceramic reinforced aluminum matrix composites by additive manufacturing.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of 2D woven Gr_f/Al composite

A 2D woven graphite fibers reinforced aluminum matrix composite with 50%Grf (volume fraction) was fabricated by the squeeze-casting technology, and its microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The results show that the composite is dense, the graphite fibers are distributed uniformly in the composite. TEM observation indicates the bonding between fiber and matrix is good and little interfacial reaction is found in the Grf/Al composite. This is attributed to the better stability of graphite fiber and the fabrication process minimizing the contact time between fiber with matrix at high temperatures. The 2D woven Grf/Al composite exhibites better mechanical properties with tensile strength, bending strength and elastic modulus of 366.2, 519.7 and 110.7 GPa, respectively. SEM images suggeste that the fracture is irregular and some pulled-out fibers are found, which indicats that the high strength of fiber is not degraded.