Preparation, structure and properties of Mg/Al laminated metal composites fabricated by roll-bonding, a review

Laminated metal composites(LMCs) are a unique composite material and have great application prospects in automobiles, ships, aircraft,and other manufacturing industries. As lightweight materials, the Mg/Al LMCs are expected to combine the advantages of both Mg and Al alloys to broaden their application prospects. Roll-bonding is the most popular process for the fabrication of Mg/Al LMCs due to high production efficiency and good product quality stability. The roll-bonding process involves the deformation of the substrates and the formation of the interfacial diffusion layer. The latter will directly determine the interface bonding strength of Mg/Al LMCs. Bonding strength is very sensitive to the thickness of the reaction layer in the diffusion layer. When the thickness of the reaction layer exceeds 5 μm, the bonding strength decreases sharply. Therefore, controlling the thickness of the reaction layer is very important for the design of rolling parameters.The latest research also showed that the addition of intermediate layer metal and the construction of three-dimensional interfaces can further improve the interface bonding strength. How to apply these methods to roll-bonding is the focus of future research. Recently, a new rolling technique, corrugated roll/plat roll rolling+flat roll/flat roll rolling has been developed to fabricate Mg/Al LMCs. It can effectively promote the deformation of the hard layer and generate a wavy interface, resulting in the enhancement of the bonding quality and rolling quality.In the current review, the effects of rolling parameters and subsequent annealing on the interface structure of Mg/Al LMCs were elaborated in detail. The application of some special rolling techniques in the preparation of Mg/Al LMCs was also summarized. The latest research results on the relationship between interface structure and mechanical properties of Mg/Al LMCs were reviewed. Finally, further research directions in this field were proposed.

Arbitrary skin metallization by pencil-writing inspired solid-ink rubbing for advanced energy storage and harvesting

The development of a durable metallic coating on diverse substrates is both intriguing and challenging,particularly in the research of metal-conductive materials for applications such as batteries,soft electronics,and beyond.Herein,by learning from the pencil-writing process,a facile solid-ink rubbing technology(SIR-tech)is invented to address the above challenge.The solid-ink is exampled by rational combination of liquid metal and graphite particles.By harnessing the synergistic effects between rubbing and adhesion,controllable metallic skin is successfully formed onto metals,woods,ceramics,and plastics without limitation in size and shape.Moreover,outperforming pure liquid-metal coating,the composite metallic skin by SIR-tech is very robust due to the self-lamination of graphite nanoplate exfoliated by liquid-metal rubbing.The critical factors controlling the structures-properties of the composite metallic skin have been systematically investigated as well.For applications,the SIR-tech is demonstrated to fabricate high-performance composite current collectors for next-generation batteries without traditional metal foils.Meanwhile,advanced skin-electrodes are further demonstrated for stable triboelectricity generation even under temperature fluctuation from-196 to 120℃.This facile and highly-flexible SIR-tech may work as a powerful platform for the studies on functional coatings by liquid metals and beyond.

Development of 3D bicontinuous metal-intermetallic composites through subsequent alloying process after liquid metal dealloying

This study presents a novel process for the fabrication of metal-intermetallic composites with a 3D bicontinuous structure, achieved through a combination of liquid metal dealloying(LMD) and subsequent alloying. Initially, porous Ti structures are produced using the LMD process, followed by immersion in a molten Mg-3Al(wt%) metal. Due to the higher thermodynamic miscibility of Al with Ti compared to Mg, the concentration of Al in the Ti matrix increases as the immersion time increases. This results in a sequential phase transition within the Ti matrix: α-Ti → Ti_(3)Al → Ti Al. The phase transition considerably affects the hardness and strength of the composite material,with the Mg-Ti_(3)Al-Ti Al composite exhibiting a maximum hardness nearly twice as high as that of the conventional Mg-Ti composite. This innovative process holds potential for the development of various bicontinuous metal-intermetallic composites.

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.

A review on carbon/magnetic metal composites for microwave absorption

At present,developing high-efficiency microwave absorption materials with properties including lightweight,thin thickness,strong absorbing intensity and broad bandwidth is an urgent demand to solve the electromagnetic pollution issues.An ideal microwave absorber should have excellent dielectric and magnetic loss capabilities,thereby inducing attenuation and absorption of incident electromagnetic radiation.Recently,various carbon/magnetic metal composites have been developed and expected to become promising candidates for high-performance microwave absorbers.In this review,we introduce the mechanisms of microwave absorption and summarize the recent advances in carbon/magnetic metal composites.Preparation methods and microwave absorption properties of carbon/magnetic metal composites with different components,morphologies and microstructures are discussed in detail.Finally,the challenges and future prospects of carbon/magnetic metal absorbing materials are also proposed,which will be useful to develop high-performance microwave absorption materials.

Fabrication of homogeneously dispersed graphene/Al composites by solution mixing and powder metallurgy

Graphene-reinforced aluminum （AI） matrix composites were successfully prepared via solution mixing and powder metallurgy in this study. The mechanical properties of the composites were studied using microhardness and tensile tests. Compared to the pure Al alloy, the graphene/Al composites showed increased strength and hardness. A tensile strength of 255 MPa was achieved for the graphene/Al com- posite with only 0.3wt% graphene, which has a 25% increase over the tensile strength of the pure Al matrix. Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the morphol- ogies, chemical compositions, and microstructures of the graphene and the graphene/A1 composites. On the basis of fractographic evidence, a relevant fracture mechanism is proposed.

Wear Studies on Metal Matrix Composites: a Taguchi Approach

An attempt has been made to study the influence of wear parameters like applied load, sliding speed, sliding distance and percentage of reinforcement on the dry sliding wear of the metal matrix composites. A plan of experiments, based on techniques of Taguchi, was performed to acquire data in controlled way. An orthogonal array and the analysis of variance were employed to investigate the influence of process parameters on the wear of composites. The objective is to establish a correlation between dry sliding wear of composites and wear parameters. These correlations were obtained by multiple regressions. Finally, confirmation tests were conducted to verify the experimental results foreseen from the mentioned correlations.

Microstructure evolution of rare earth Pr modified alumina-silicate short fiber-reinforced Al-Si metal matrix composites

Al-Si metal matrix composites (MMCs) reinforced with 20 vol.% alumina-silicate shot fibers (Al2O3-SiO2(sf)) were fabricated by an infiltration squeeze method. Pure Pr metal was added into these composites. The effect of Pr addition on the microstructure evolution of Al-Si MMCs was investigated by SEM,TEM,and EDS. Pr addition is favorable to make uniform microstructures with the modified eutectic Si crystal. PrAlSi phase with high contents of Pr and Si is observed on the interface between the fiber and the matrix. The addition of Pr promotes interface SiO2 reduction,and SiO2 comes from the crystallization of Al2O3-SiO2 short fibers.

Effect of particle characteristics on deformation of particle reinforced metal matrix composites

The particle characteristics of 15%SiC particles reinforced metal matrix composites(MMC)made by powder metallurgy route were studied by using a statistical method.In the analysis,the approach for estimation of the characteristics of particles was presented.The study was carried out by using the mathematic software MATLAB to calculate the area and perimeter of each particle, in which the image processing technique was employed.Based on the calculations,the sizes and shape factors of each particle were investigated respectively.Additionally,the finite element model(FEM)was established on the basis of the actual microstructure.The contour plots of von Mises effective stress and strain in matrix and particles were presented in calculations for considering the influence of microstructure on the deformation behavior of MMC.Moreover,the contour maps of the maximum stress of particles and the maximum plastic strain of matrix in the vicinity of particles were introduced respectively.

Laser Additive Manufacturing on Metal Matrix Composites: A Review

Important progresses in the study of laser additive manufacturing on metal matrix composites(MMCs)have been made.Recent efforts and advances in additive manufacturing on 5 types of MMCs are presented and reviewed.The main focus is on the material design,the combination of reinforcement and the metal matrix,the synthesis principle during the manufacturing process,and the resulted microstructures as well as properties.Thereafter,the trend of development in future is forecasted,including:Formation mechanism and reinforcement principle of strengthening phase;Material and process design to actively achieve expected performance;Innovative structure design based on the special properties of laser AM MMCs;Simulation,monitoring and optimization in the process of laser AM MMCs.

Advances in graphene reinforced metal matrix nanocomposites:Mechanisms,processing,modelling,properties and applications

Graphene has been extensively explored to enhance functional and mechanical properties of metalmatrix nanocomposites for wide-range applications due to their superior mechanical,electrical and thermal properties.This article discusses recent advances of key mechanisms,synthesis,manufacture,modelling and applications of graphene metal matrix nanocomposites.The main strengthening mechanisms include load transfer,Orowan cycle,thermal mismatch,and refinement strengthening.Synthesis technologies are discussed including some conventional methods(such as liquid metallurgy,powdermetallurgy,thermal spraying and deposition technology)and some advanced processing methods(such as molecular-level mixing and friction stir processing).Analytical modelling(including phenomenological models,semi-empirical models,homogenization models,and self-consistent model)and numerical simulations(including finite elements method,finite difference method,and boundary element method)have been discussed for understanding the interface bonding and performance characteristics between graphene and different metal matrices(Al,Cu,Mg,Ni).Key challenges in applying graphene as a reinforcing component for the metal matrix composites and the potential solutions as well as prospectives of future development and opportunities are highlighted.

Development of three kinds of active ternary filler metals of AI-Si-Ti, Zn-AI-Ti and Cu-AI-Ti systems for AI metal matrix composites

To improve the wettability of common fiUer metals on Al metal matrix composites （ AI-MMCs ） , three kinds of active ternary filler metals, Al-Si-Ti, Zn-Al-Ti and Cu-Al-Ti systems, were prepared by the addition of Ti. Excessive melting temperature made the gravity segregation of Ti remarkable in ingot. The effect of Ti content on the melting point for AI-Si-Ti ternary system was not as sensitive as that for Al-Ti binary system. The Al-12Si-1Ti filler metal showed good ability to form brazing foil during rapid cooling, ductile fracture surface and similar shear strength to conventional Al-12Si filler metal. Moreover, the Al2 03 reinforcements on initial surface could be covered by the Al-12Si-1Ti filler metal without interfacial gaps after sessile drop test. For Zn-9.5Al-0. 5 Ti braze alloy, severe vaporization of Zn and severe segregation of Ti Occurred. During wettability test for traditional Al-12Si and Zn-9.5Al-0. 5Ti, although some Si or Zn could penetrate into the composite, interfacial gap still remained. The prepared Cu-19Al-1 Ti interlayer consisted of primary phase of Al4Cu9 and network Cu-Al-Ti ternary intermetaUic compound, showing poor ability to form foil and very brittle nature. These results demonstrated that Al-Si-Ti system should be promising for Al-MMCs.

Thermal residual stresses and stress distributions under tensile and compressive loadings of short fiber reinforced metal matrix composites

The thermal residual stresses and the stress distributions of short fiber reinforced metal matrix composite under tensile and compressive loadings were studied using large strain axisymmetric elasto plastic finite element method. It is demonstrated that the thermal residual stresses can result in asymmetrical stress distributions and matrix plasticity. The thermal residual stresses decrease the stress transfer in tension and enhance the stress transfer in compression. The fiber volume fraction has more important effects on the thermal residual stresses and the stress distributions under tensile and compressive loadings than the fiber aspect ratio and the fiber end distance. [

Processing of nanostructured metallic matrix composites by a modified accumulative roll bonding method with structural and mechanical considerations

Particulate reinforced metallic matrix composites have attracted considerable attention due to their lightweight, high strength, high specific modulus, and good wear resistance. A1/B4C composite strips were produced in this work by a modified accumulative roll bonding process where the strips were rotated 90° around the normal direction between successive passes. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses reveal the development of nanostructures in the Al matrix after seven passes. It is found that the B4C reinforcement distribution in the matrix is improved by progression of the process. Additionally, the tensile yield strength and elongation of the processed materials are increased with the increase of passes.

Effect of lamellar structural parameters on the bending fracture behavior of AA1100/AA7075 laminated metal composites

The lamellar structure has an important impact on the mechanical properties of dissimilar laminated metal composites(LMCs),including the thickness ratio of dissimilar metal constituent layers and the number of layers.AA1100 and AA7075 with thickness ratios of 1:4 and 3:4 were fabricated for multilayer AA1100/AA7075 LMCs by hot accumulative roll bonding(ARB)technology.The bending fracture characteristics of AA1100/AA7075 LMCs with different thickness ratios and numbers of constituent layers were investigated.The research results indicated that AA1100/AA7075 LMCs with a low thickness ratio exhibited better bending ductility and toughness than those with a high thickness ratio,which was attributed to the crack growth resistance caused by the thickness of the soft AA1100 layer.The toughening mechanism introduced by crack deflection or arresting contributed to the enhancement in the toughness of the LMCs compared with that of the single 7075 Al layer.The bonding interfaces of AA1100/AA7075 LMCs with different numbers of layers are continuous and straight due to the high ARB temperature.A decrease in bending toughness was observed as the number of layers increased.Unlike LMCs with a low number of layers,crack deflection or interface delamination is also considered a main toughening mechanism in dissimilar LMCs in addition to the thickness effect.

Corrosion properties in a simulated body fluid of Mg/β-TCP composites prepared by powder metallurgy

Magnesium matrix composites （MMC） reinforced with 5wt% tricalcium phosphate （TCP） particles were prepared by powder metallurgy. Pure magnesium （CP-Mg） was fabricated by the same procedure for comparison. Scanning electron microscopy and en- ergy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses revealed that TCP particles were distributed homogeneously in the MMC. In order to investi- gate the corrosion properties, MMC samples were immersed in a simulated body fluid （SBF） at 310~0.5 K for 72 h. The mass loss of the samples in SBF and the pH values of the SBF were evaluated. Moreover, electrochemical measurements were conducted in the SBF. It was shown that the corrosion rate of the MMC decreased with the addition of TCP compared with CP-Mg. Hydroxyapatite was formed on the surface of MMC samples after immersion in the SBF for 72 h but not on the surface of CP-Mg.

Fabrication and abrasive wear properties of metal matrix composites reinforced with three-dimensional network structure

Reticulated polyurethane was chosen as the preceramic material for preparing the porous preform using the replication process. The immersing and sintering processes were each performed twice for fabricating a high-porosity and super-strong skeleton. The aluminum magnesium matrix composites reinforced with three-dimensional network structure were prepared using the infiltration technique by pressure assisting and vacuum driving. Light interfacial reactions have played a profitable role in most of the ceramic-metal systems. The metal matrix composites interpenetrated with the ceramic phase have a higher wear resistance than the metal matrix phase. The volume fraction of ceramic reinforcement has a significant effect on the abrasive wear, and the wear rate can be decreased with the increase of the volume fraction of reinforcement.

Synthesis,structure and mechanical properties of Zr-Cu-based bulk metallic glass composites

The unusual glass-forming ability（GFA） of the Zr48Cu36Ag8Al8 alloy and the high ductility of the Zr48Cu36Ag8Al8 metallic glass-matrix composites containing Ta powder were reported.The bulk metallic glass rod with a diameter of 25 mm was successfully synthesized using copper mold casting for the Zr48Cu36Ag8Al8 alloy.High GFA of this alloy was found to be related to a large supercooled liquid region and a quaternary eutectic point with low melting temperature.The bulk metallic glass matrix composites were prepared by introducing extra Ta particles into the Zr48Cu36Ag8Al8 melt.The composites consist of Ta particles homogenously distributed in the Zr48Cu36Ag8Al8 metallic glass matrix.The optimum content of Ta powder is 10at%for the composite with the highest plasticity,which shows a plastic strain of 31%.

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 A16061/SiCp. The rare earth metal salt can be an alternative to the toxic chromate for sealing anodized Al MMC.

Statistical Analyses of the Strengths of Particulate Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites(PRMMCs)Subjected to Multiple Tensile and Shear Stresses

For design and application of particulate reinforced metal matrix composites(PRMMCs),it is essential to predict the material strengths and understand how do they relate to constituents and microstructural features.To this end,a computational approach consists of the direct methods,homogenization,and statistical analyses is introduced in our previous studies.Since failure of PRMMC materials are often caused by time-varied combinations of tensile and shear stresses,the established approach is extended in the present work to take into account of these situations.In this paper,ultimate strengths and endurance limits of an exemplary PRMMC material,WC-Co,are predicted under three independently varied tensile and shear stresses.In order to cover the entire load space with least amount of weight factors,a new method for generating optimally distributed weight factors in an n dimensional space is formulated.Employing weight factors determined by this algorithm,direct method calculations were performed on many statistically equivalent representative volume elements(SERVE)samples.Through analyzing statistical characteristics associated with results the study suggests a simplified approach to estimate the material strength under superposed stresses without solving the difficult high dimensional shakedown problem.