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.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Al 2519 matrix composites reinforced with Ti-coated SiC particles

Ti-coated SiCp particles were developed by vacuum evaporation with Ti to improve the interfacial bonding of SiCp/Al composites.Ti-coated SiC particles and uncoated SiC particles reinforced Al 2519 matrix composites were prepared by hot pressing,hot extrusion and heat treatment.The influence of Ti coating on microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS).The results show that the densely deposited Ti coating reacts with SiC particles to form TiC and Ti5Si3 phases at the interface.Ti-coated SiC particle reinforced composite exhibits uniformity and compactness compared to the composite reinforced with uncoated SiC particles.The microstructure,relative density and mechanical properties of the composite are significantly improved.When the volume fraction is 15%,the hardness,fracture strain and tensile strength of the SiCp reinforced Al 2519 composite after Ti plating are optimized,which are HB 138.5,4.02%and 455 MPa,respectively.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Microstructure elaboration and mechanical properties of AlN_p/4032Al composite

A dense and uniform 50%AlN_p/4032Al(Al-12%Si) composite was fabricated by squeeze casting process that involved pressure infiltration of molten 4032Al into a porous AlN preform. TEM observations show that there are high densities of dislocations in the aluminum, and these thermally induced dislocations are attributed to the difference of coefficients of thermal expansion between AlN and aluminum. The Si phases in the matrix are found to preferentially nucleate around AlN particles, and the reasons influencing heterogeneous nucleation of Si on AlN are discussed. The composite exhibits excellent mechanical properties, with a Brinell hardness of 268 and a bending strength of 556MPa. The modulus of AlN_p/Al composite reaches 145GPa and agrees well with the prediction by Hashin-Shtrikman model.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of TiC-Reinforced Al–Mg–Sc–Zr Composites Additively Manufactured by Laser Direct Energy Deposition

In order to refine the microstructure and improve the performance of direct energy deposited(DED)additively manufactured Al–Mg–Sc–Zr alloy,TiC-modified Al–Mg–Sc–Zr composites were prepared by DED and the effect of TiC content on the microstructure and performance was studied.In the absence of TiC particle,the microstructure of Al–Mg–Sc–Zr alloy prepared by DED consisted of fine grains with average size of 8.36μm,and well-dispersed nano-Al;(Sc,Zr)particles inside the grains and Mg;Si phase along the grain boundaries.With the addition of 1 wt%TiC,the microstructure of TiC/Al–Mg–Sc–Zr prepared by DED became finer apparently compared with that without TiC;while the further increase of TiC content to 3 wt%,the microstructure of TiC/Al–Mg–Sc–Zr prepared by DED became coarser with appearance of a new kind of needle-like(Ti,Zr);Si;phase.Also,the addition of TiC decreased the porosity of Al–Mg–Sc–Zr prepared by DED.Simultaneously,after the addition of TiC,the tensile strength increased from 283.25 MPa to 344.98–361.51 MPa,and the elongation increased from 3.61%to 9.58–14.10%.The potential mechanism of the microstructure evolution and strength improvement was discussed.This research will provide new insights into the available metal matrix composites by laser additive manufacturing(LAM).

Microstructure and properties of Si_p/4032Al composite

The environmental-friendly Si_p/4032Al composite with high content of silicon particles (65%, mass fraction) was fabricated by squeeze-casting method. The results show that the composite is dense and silicon particles are distributed uniformly. Transmission electron microscope observations show that a high density of stacking faults, twins and dislocations are found in silicon particles. The Si-Al interfaces are well-bonded and no interface reactants are found. The dislocations and eutectic silicon precipitates are observed in 4032Al matrix. The Si_p/4032Al composite has low density (2.4g/cm3), low coefficient of thermal expansion (8.1×10 -6/℃), high thermal conductivity (161.3W/(m·℃)), and the annealing treatment can reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion and improve the thermal conductivity. Moreover, the composite has excellent special strength(131.8MPa·cm3/g)and special modulus (49.7GPa·cm3/g).

Review of recent trends in friction stir welding process of aluminum alloys and aluminum metal matrix composites

Welding is a vital component of several industries such as automotive,aerospace,robotics,and construction.Without welding,these industries utilize aluminum alloys for the manufacturing of many components or systems.However,fusion welding of aluminum alloys is challenging due to several factors,including the presence of non-heat-treatable alloys,porosity,solidification,and liquation of cracks.Many manufacturers adopt conventional in-air friction stir welding(FSW)to weld metallic alloys and dissimilar materials.Many researchers reported the drawbacks of this traditional in-air FSW technique in welding metallic and polymeric materials in general and aluminum alloys and aluminum matrix composites in specific.A number of FSW techniques were developed recently,such as underwater friction stir welding(UFSW),vibrational friction-stir welding(VFSW),and others,for welding of aluminum alloy joints to overcome the issues of welding using conventional FSW.Therefore,the main objective of this review is to summarize the recent trends in FSW process of aluminum alloys and aluminum metal matrix composites(Al MMCs).Also,it discusses the effect of welding parameters of the traditional and state-of-the-art developed FSW techniques on the welding quality and strength of aluminum alloys and Al MMCs.Comparison among the techniques and advantages and limitations of each are considered.The review suggests that VFSW is a viable option for welding aluminum joints due to its energy efficiency,economic cost,and versatile modifications that can be employed based on the application.This review also illustrated that significantly less attention has been paid to FSW of Al-MMCs and considerable attention is demanded to produce qualified joint.

Enhanced mechanical properties of 6082 aluminum alloy via SiC addition combined with squeeze casting

In order to improve mechanical properties of 6082 aluminum alloy,the SiC_(p)/Al 6082 composites were prepared by the addition of the micron-sized SiC_(p)articles combined with the squeeze casting.The effects of the SiC_(p)content and squeeze casting on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the 6082 aluminum alloy were investigated by SEM,EDS,TEM,tensile testing and hardness testing analysis methods.Research results exhibited that the SiC_(p)content and squeeze casting had a significant impact on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the 6082 aluminum alloy.The addition of the SiC_(p)refined the grain size of the 6082 aluminum alloy while caused the increase of the porosity with increasing the SiC_(p)content,especially in the permanent mold casting condition.Compared to the permanent mold casting,the squeeze casting obviously reduced pore defects,refined grain size and made the SiC_(p)distribute evenly as well as bond tightly with the Al matrix.The tensile strength,yield strength,elongation,elastic modulus and hardness of the 6082 aluminum alloy obtained with the SiC_(p)and squeeze casting were remarkably improved,and the optimal mechanical properties were obtained with a 2 wt.%SiC_(p),and they increased 10.73%,72.7%,193.9%,23.5%and 25.2%,respectively,compared to those of the6082 aluminum alloy obtained without SiC_(p)and squeeze casting.The fracture surface of the SiC_(p)/Al 6082 composites obtained with the squeeze casting was dense and exhibited a ductile fracture mode.

Preparation and properties of graphene nanoplatelets reinforced aluminum composites

5.0 vol.% graphene nanoplatelets(GNPs) and aluminum powders were mixed to prepare GNPs/Al composites via high-energy ball milling(HEBM). The mixed powders were subjected to spark plasma sintering(SPS) and subsequent hot extrusion. The microstructure and mechanical properties of extruded composites were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and tensile tests. In the extruded composites, 5.0 vol.% GNPs were dispersed homogeneously and no serious GNP-Al interfacial reaction occurred. As a result, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the extruded GNPs/Al composites reached 462 and 479 MPa, which were 62% and 60% higher than those of the extruded Al matrix, respectively. The enhanced mechanical properties were attributed to the effective load transfer capacity of dispersed GNPs. This demonstrated that it may be promising to introduce dispersed high-content GNPs via HEBM, SPS and hot extrusion techniques and GNP-Al interfacial reaction can be controlled.

Effect of Hot Extrusion on Interfacial Microstructure and Tensile Properties of SiC_p/2009Al Composites Fabricated at Different Hot Pressing Temperatures

The effects of hot extrusion on the interfacial microstructures and tensile properties of 15 vol.SiCp/2009Al composites fabricated at different hot pressing temperatures were investigated.After hot extrusion,the relative density of the composites increased,the SiC particle distribution became more uniform,and the SiC particles tended to align along the extrusion direction.Furthermore,the interface bonding was improved after hot extrusion;however,the extrusion exerted no obvious effect on the interfacial reaction products formed during sintering process.Tensile tests indicated that the mechanical properties of the composites were improved significantly after extrusion.Fractography revealed that the fracture mechanism of the extruded composites fabricated at the hot pressing temperatures below 540℃ was mainly the interfacial debonding.For the extruded composites fabricated at 560-600℃,the fracture was the matrix ductile fracture and the SiC particle fracture.When the composites were hot pressed at or above 620℃,after extrusion,the fracture mechanism of the composites was the matrix ductile fracture,the interface cracking and the SiC particle fracture.

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes reinforced aluminum composites synthesized by hot press sintering and squeeze casting

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) have high mechanical properties and are considered a kind of realistic reinforcement for polymers, ceramics and metals. The hot press sintering and squeeze casting were adopted to synthesize MWNTs reinforced aluminum composites. In hot press sintered MWNTs/Al composites, MWNTs agglomerates distribute along aluminum powders and have low bonding strength with aluminum. But MWNTs agglomerates distribute evenly in the squeeze cast MWNTs/Al composites. Some dispersed nanotubes bond well with aluminum matrix and few dislocations can be found in the nanotube areas, which implies little thermal residual stress in squeeze cast MWNTs/Al composites. This indicates that the strengthen mechanisms in nanometer sized MWNTs/Al composites may be different from that in micrometer sized whisker composites.

Electron beam welding of SiCp/2024 and 2219 aluminum alloy

SiCp/2024 matrix composites reinforced with SiC particles and 2219 aluminum alloy were joined via centered electron beam welding and deflection beam welding,respectively,and the microstructures and mechanical properties of these joints were investigated.The results revealed that SiC particle segregation was more likely during centered electron beam welding(than during deflection beam welding),and strong interface reactions led to the formation of many Al4C3 brittle intermetallic compounds.Moreover,the tensile strength of the joints was 104 MPa.The interface reaction was restrained via deflection electron beam welding,and only a few Al4C3 intermetallic compounds formed at the top of the joint and heat affected zone of SiCp/Al.Quasi-cleavage fracture occurred at the interface reaction layer of the base metal.Both methods yielded a hardness transition zone near the SiCp/2024 fusion zone,and the brittle intermetallic Al4C3compounds formed in this zone resulted in high hardness.

不同Sr含量变质对A356合金组织及力学性能的影响

研究了不同Sr含量对A356合金组织及力学性能的影响。试验结果表明:当Sr加入量为0.04%时,所得到的合金组织及力学性能较好,共晶硅组织呈细颗粒状与蠕虫状,且均匀弥散分布于α-Al合金基体中,合金抗拉强度为215.99 MPa,伸长率为4.04%,布氏硬度为HBW56。

Sr对(Al_2O_3+Al_3Zr)_p/A356复合材料组织及性能的影响

采用X射线衍射仪(XRD)和扫描电镜(SEM)分析以及力学性能测试,研究了微量Sr对A356-Zr(CO3)2体系熔体反应法合成的(Al2O3+Al3Zr)p/A356复合材料组织及性能的影响。SEM分析结果表明,微量Sr变质后,原位合成的Al3Zr和Al2O3颗粒细小,颗粒尺寸大部分在2～3μm之间;内生Al2O3、Al3Zr颗粒已不被凝固界面大量排斥和推移,而是大部分被捕捉进入固相,均匀分布在基体中;同时Sr使基体A356中Si相形貌从粗针状变为细小的颗粒状。力学性能测试结果表明,Sr变质后的复合材料的抗拉强度比未变质的复合材料提高了13.8%。

Sr变质剂和浇铸冷却速率对铸铝A319微观组织及力学性能的影响

本文以A319合金作为研究对象,通过在合金熔体中添加变质剂、分层铸造以及对铸造后的合金进行T6热处理等方法来研究这些因素对合金显微组织和性能的影响。本文的主要研究内容包括:(1)研究了Sr变质剂对铸造A319铝合金的微观组织和力学性能的影响。结果发现Sr变质过的合金中硅颗粒的大小和长径比显著减小,得到了很好的粒状化效果,即变质后的组织更加细密,孔洞也减少了,因此力学性能得到了提高。(2)探讨了铸造固化过程中不同冷却速率对A319铝合金的微观组织和力学性能的影响。结果表明随冷却速率的提高,合金中硅颗粒的大小和长径比及二次枝晶臂间距减小,组织变得细密。宏观上表现为合金的屈服强度、抗拉强度及延伸率等力学性能都随着冷却速率的提高而变好。

Sr变质对新型铸造铝合金组织的影响

采用金相、断口扫描分析手段,研究了未变质和锶变质新型高强韧铸造铝合金的组织形貌。实验结果表明,变质后合金组织的形貌较未变质合金有较大变化,适当的Sr变质,可以获得球状共晶Si在基体内弥散均匀分布的组织,改善材料的力学性能。

原位合成TiC颗粒增强铝基复合材料研究进展

原位合成TiC颗粒增强铝基复合材料具有密度小、比模量高、低热膨胀系数、热稳定性和导热性能良好,以及耐磨性能和耐有机液体和溶剂侵蚀优良等一系列优点,成为了近年来金属基复合材料的研究热点。本文从反应体系、显微组织、力学性能和强化机制四个方面,综述了近年来原位合成TiC/Al复合材料的研究进展,指出了其存在的问题并展望了其发展趋势,以期为研究和开发原位合成颗粒增强铝基复合材料提供参考。