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 porosity and interface structures on thermal and mechanical properties of SiC_p/6061Al composites with high volume fraction of SiC

50 vol.% SiCp/Al composites with high thermal and mechanical properties were successfully produced by spark plasma sintering technique. The influences of sintering temperature on the thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion and bending strength of the SiCp/Al composites were carefully investigated. The results show that the SiCp/Al composites sintered at 520℃ exhibits a thermal conductivity of 189 W/(m·K), a coefficient of thermal expansion (50.200℃) of 10.03×10^-6 K^-1 and a bending strength of 649 MPa. The high thermal and mechanical properties can be ascribed to the nearly full density and the well interfacial bonding between the alloy matrix and the SiC particles. This work provides a promising pathway for producing materials to meet the needs of high performance electronic packaging.

Role of particle stimulated nucleation in recrystallization of hot extruded Al 6061/SiC_p composites

Studies on texture and microstructure evolution in hot extruded Al 6061 aluminium alloy reinforced with uncoated and nickel coated SiC p were carried out by electron backscattered diffraction technique.Textures of both the alloy and its composite with nickel coated SiC p do exhibit strong β fiber with its axis parallel to the direction of extrusion.In addition to the dominant cube texture（001） 100,fully recrystallized grains with partially equiaxed structure have been observed in the alloy reinforced with uncoated SiC p.The recrystallization texture of this composite can be attributed to the particle stimulated nucleation（PSN） due to the presence of SiC p with size less than 5 μm.Under these conditions,the low value of Zener-Hollomon,Z（～1012s-1） confirms that PSN is one of the dominant mechanisms for recrystallization and is governed by formation of deformation zone rather than stored energy.

Production and characterization of rich husk ash particulate reinforced AA6061 aluminum alloy composites by compocasting

Rice husk ash(RHA) is a potential particulate reinforcement to produce aluminum matrix composites(AMCs)economically.Compocasting method was applied to produce aluminum alloy AA6061 reinforced with various amounts(0,2%,4%,6%and 8%,mass fraction) of RHA particles.The prepared composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.X-ray diffraction patterns of AA6061/RHA AMCs revealed the presence of RHA particles without the formation of any other intermetallic compounds.The scanning electron micrographs showed a homogeneous distribution of RHA particles all over the aluminum matrix.Intragranular distribution of RHA particles was observed.Further,RHA particles were bonded well with the aluminum matrix and a clear interface existed.The reinforcement of RHA particles enhanced the microhardness and ultimate tensile strength(UTS) of the AMCs.The tensile behavior is correlated to the microstructure of the AMCs.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of rutile-reinforced AA6061 matrix composites produced via stir casting process

A novel process of fabricating aluminium matrix composites(AMCs)with requisite properties by dispersing rutile particles in the aluminum matrix was studied.A novel bi-stage stir casting method was employed to prepare composites,by varying the mass fractions of the rutile particles as 1%,2%,3%and 4%in AA6061 matrix.The density,tensile strength,hardness and microstructures of composites were investigated.Bi-stage stir casting method engendered AMCs with uniform distribution of the reinforced rutile particles in the AA6061 matrix.This was confirmed by the enhancement of the properties of AMCs over the parent base material.Rutile-reinforced AMCs exhibited higher tensile strength and hardness as compared with unreinforced parent material.The properties of the composites were enhanced with the increase in the mass fraction of the rutile particles.However,beyond 3 wt.%of rutile particles,the tensile strength decreased.The hardness and tensile strength of the AMCs reinforced with 3 wt.%of rutile were improved by 36%and 14%respectively in comparison with those of matrix alone.

Bonding enhancement of cold rolling TA1 P-Ti/AA6061 composite plates via surface oxidation treatment

TA1 P-Ti/AA6061 composite plate was produced by oxidizing the surface of the titanium plate and adopting a cold roll bonding process.The results revealed that the oxide film(Ti6O)prepared on the surface of TA1 pure titanium was easy to crack during the cold roll bonding,thereby promoting the formation of an effective mechanical interlock at the interface,which can effectively reduce the minimum reduction rate of the composite plates produced by cold rolling of titanium and aluminium plates.Moreover,the composite plate subjected to oxidation treatment exhibited high shear strength,particularly at a 43%reduction rate,achieving a commendable value of 117 MPa.Based on oxidation treatment and different reduction rates,the annealed composite plates at temperatures of 400,450,and 500°C displayed favorable resistance to interface delamination,highlighting their remarkable strength-plasticity compatibility as evidenced by a maximum elongation of 31.845%.

Microstructure and properties of high-fraction graphite nanoflakes/6061Al matrix composites fabricated via spark plasma sintering

30-50 wt.%graphite nanoflakes(GNFs)/6061Al matrix composites were fabricated via spark plasma sintering(SPS)at 610℃.The effects of the sintering pressure and GNF content on the microstructure and properties of the composites were investigated.The results indicated that interfacial reactions were inhibited during SPS because no Al4C3 was detected.Moreover,the agglomeration of the GNFs increased,and the distribution orientation of the GNFs decreased with increasing the GNF content.The relative density,bending strength,and coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE)of the composites decreased,while the thermal conductivity(TC)in the X−Y direction increased.As the sintering pressure increased,the GNFs deagglomerated and were distributed preferentially in the X−Y direction,which increased the relative density,bending strength and TC,and decreased the CTE of the composites.The 50wt.%GNFs/6061Al matrix composite sintered at 610℃ under 55 MPa demonstrated the best performance,i.e.,bending strength of 72 MPa,TC and CTE(RT−100℃)of 254 W/(m·K)and 8.5×10^(−6)K^(−1)in the X−Y direction,and 55 W/(m·K)and 9.7×10^(−6)K^(−1)in the Z direction,respectively.

Microstructure Characteristics of Interaction Layer of Zn-Al Eutectic Alloy with Al_2O_3p/6061Al Composites

The interaction between Zn-AI eutectic alloy and Al203p/6061AI composites in the vacuum furnace was investigated. Great attention has been paid to the elements diffusion, the microstructure and formation of the interface between Zn-AI eutectic alloy and Al2O3p/6061AI composites. Experimental results show that Zn-AI eutectic alloy has a good wetting ability to Al2O3p/6061 Al composites and the wetting angle decreases with increasing the temperature in vacuum. After the interaction, an interaction layer forms between Zn-AI alloy and Al2O3p/6061 Al composites. The phases in the interaction layer mainly consist of α-AI(Zn), Al2O3 and CuZn5 resulted from the diffusion of elements from the Zn-AI alloy. Several porosities distribute in the region near the interface of the Zn-AI alloy/interaction layer. The amount of shrinkage voids in the interacting layer is relevant to the penetration of Zn element into Al2O3p/6061Al composites which is a function of temperature. So it is necessary to lower heating temperature in order to limit the Zn penetration.

Effects of whisker surface treatment on microstructure and properties of Al_(18)B_4O_(33w)/6061Al composites

6061Al matrix composites reinforced by ZnO-coated Al18B4O33 whiskers were fabricated by a semi-solid mechanical stirring technique.The effects of ZnO coating on interfacial reaction between whiskers and matrix and the tensile properties of the composites were investigated.Tensile tests on composites were performed at room temperature,and microstructures were observed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The results show that the surface treatment of whiskers could reduce interfacial reaction effectively,improve the wettability between whiskers and matrix and enhance the tensile properties of the composites obviously.In addition,semi-solid stirring parameters were also under preliminary study.The stirring parameters were determined by the distribution of whiskers in the composites.The composites with homogeneously distributed whiskers were fabricated by semi-solid stirring at 610 ℃ for 30 min.

Effect of low temperature treatment on tensile yield strength of SiC_w/6061 Al alloy composites

The effect of the low temperature treatment at -78 ℃ and -196 ℃ on the microstructure and properties of 18%SiC w/6061(volume fraction) Al alloy composites of as squeeze casting were studied. The results show that, after the low temperature treatment, the dislocation density in matrix increases, and the residual stress of the matrix decreases, as well as the tensile yield strength of the composites improves. The high residual stress exists in the matrix of the composites of as original squeeze casting. The mismatch degree between the matrix and SiC w phases increases during the low temperature treatment. The matrix undergoes the tensile plastic deformation during the cooling procedure. On the contrary, the matrix encountered an elastic unloading procedure during the heating up process from low temperature to room temperature. The increase of dislocation density and the decrease of residual stress in the matrix are the main reason of the improvement for tensile yield strength of the composites.

Mixed rare earth metal conversion coatings on 2024 alloy and Al6061/SiC_p metal matrix composites

The processes of mixed rare earth metal (REM) conversion coatings on 2024 alloy and Al6061/SiC p metal matrix composites (MMC) were introduced. The coatings were examined to be honeycomb like feature by scanning electron microscope. X ray diffraction analysis revealed that the coatings are amorphous structure. The results of X ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the mixed REM conversion coatings consist predominantly of Ce and O, the contents of other rare earth elements (such as La, Pr) are relatively low, the coatings are about 2～4 μm thickness with excellent adhesion and wearability. The results of mass loss test showed that the mixed REM conversion coatings produce corrosion resistant surface of 2024 alloy and Al6061/SiC p. [

Evaluation on Microstructure and Mechanical Behaviour of Al6061-Al₂O₃-Gr Hybrid Composites

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are gaining widespread recognition in numerous technological fields owing to its superior mechanical properties when compared with conventional metals/alloys. The aluminium based hybrid composites are increasingly being used in the transport, aerospace, marine, automobile and mineral processing industries, owing to the improved strength, stiffness and wear resistance properties. In the present research work, the composites were prepared using the liquid metallurgy technique, in which 2 - 10 weight percentage of Al2O3 particulates and 1 weight percentage of Graphite were dispersed in the base Al6061 alloy. The Casted hybrid composites were subjected to machining process to prepare the specimens according to ASTM standards. Then, the prepared specimens are subjected for assessing the Microstructure followed by its Mechanical behaviors such as, Hardness, Tensile strength, Compressive strength respectively. The microstructure analysis confirms that homogenous distribution of Al2O3 and Gr in the Al6061 matrix alloy and there was a momentous enhancement in decisive tensile strength, compressive strength and hardness properties of the hybrid composite. However, a substantial increase in the compressive strength was noticed in graphite reinforced composites as the graphite content was increased and there was a significant diminution in hardness coupled with monotonic increases in the ductility. Further, the ultimate tensile strength and compressive strength of the composite was noticed;thus the outcome of the study will provide explicit rationalizations for these observable facts. Therefore, the proposed way out in the study can provide ample of approaches to minimize the existing problem by employing this newer hybrid composites.

原位自生TiCp/6061复合材料的组织、硬度及耐磨性能

采用接触反应法制备了原位自生TiCp/6061复合材料,利用XRD和SEM对复合材料进行物相分析及微观形貌观察,用6061铝合金基体材料作为对比,研究了增强粒子含量对复合材料硬度和摩擦磨损行为的影响。结果表明,采用接触反应法,以Ti粉、C粉和Al粉作为生成TiC增强相的原材料,可直接在6061铝合金基体中原位生成TiC颗粒,TiC颗粒呈规则多边形,尺寸为0.5~1μm。随着增强粒子含量的增加,原位自生TiCp/6061复合材料的硬度明显提高,T6热处理后5%(质量分数)的TiCp/6061复合材料的硬度为120.5HBS,比基体6061铝合金提高了28.1%。这是TiC颗粒对6061基体材料的位错强化和细晶强化综合作用的结果。此外,随着增强粒子含量的提高,原位自生TiCp/6061复合材料的耐磨性也增强;T6热处理后,在100 N恒压作用下与GCR15材料对磨300 s,基体6061铝合金失重是5%(质量分数)TiCp/6061复合材料的2倍。其原因在于TiC颗粒含量的提高减小了对磨材料与复合材料的有效接触面积,从而增强了原位自生TiCp/6061复合材料的耐磨性能。

Thermal analysis for brake disks of SiC/6061 Al alloy co-continuous composite for CRH3 during emergency braking considering airflow cooling

The mass of high-speed trains can be reduced using the brake disk prepared with SiC network ceramic frame reinforced 6061 aluminum alloy composite （SiCn/Al）. The thermal and stress analyses of SiCn/Al brake disk during emergency braking at a speed of 300 km/h considering airflow cooling were investigated using finite element （FE） and computational fluid dynamics （CFD） methods. All three modes of heat transfer （conduction, convection and radiation） were analyzed along with the design features of the brake assembly and their interfaces. The results suggested that the higher convection coefficients achieved with airflow cooling will not only reduce the maximum temperature in the braking but also reduce the thermal gradients, since heat will be removed faster from hotter parts of the disk. Airflow cooling should be effective to reduce the risk of hot spot formation and disc thermal distortion. The highest temperature after emergency braking was 461 °C and 359 °C without and with considering airflow cooling, respectively. The equivalent stress could reach 269 MPa and 164 MPa without and with considering airflow cooling, respectively. However, the maximum surface stress may exceed the material yield strength during an emergency braking, which may cause a plastic damage accumulation in a brake disk without cooling. The simulation results are consistent with the experimental results well.

Effects of reinforcement on wear resistance of aluminum matrix composites

The effect of reinforcement on the wear mechanism of metal matrix composites （MMCs） was investigated by considering different parameters, such as sliding distance （6 km）, pressure （0.14-1.1 MPa） and sliding speed （230-1480 r/min）. The wear mechanisms of an MMC and the corresponding matrix material under similar experimental conditions were compared on a pin-on-disc wear machine. The pins were made of 6061 aluminum matrix alloy and 6061 aluminum matrix composite reinforced with 10% Al2O3 （volume fraciton） particles （6-18μm）. The disc was made of steel. The major findings are as follows： the MMC shows much higher wear resistance than the corresponding matrix material; unlike that of matrix material, the wear of MMC is very much linear and possible to predict easily; the wear mechanism is similar for both materials other than the three-body abrasion in the case of MMC; the reinforced particles resist the abrasion and restrict the deformation of MMCs which causes high resistance to wear. These results reveal the roles of the reinforcement particles on the wear resistance of MMCs and provide a useful guide for a better control of their wear.

Erosive Wear and Wear Mechanism of in situ TiC_P/Fe Composites

The base structure of in situ TiCp/Fe composites fabricated under industrial condition was changed by different heat treatments. Erosive wear tests were carried out and the results were compared with that of wear-resistant white cast iron. The results suggest that the wear resistance of the in situ TiCp/Fe composite is higher than that of wear-resistant white cast iron under the sand erosive wear condition. The wear mechanism of the wear-resistant white cast iron was a cycle process that base surface was worn and carbides were exposed, then carbides was broken and wear pits appeared. While the wear mechanism of in situ TiCp/Fe composite was a cycle process that base surface was worn and TiC grains were exposed and dropped. The wear resistance of in situ TiCp/Fe composite was lower than that of wear-resistant white cast iron under the slurry erosive wear condition. Under such circumstance, the material was not only undergone erosive wear but also electrochemistry erosion due to the contact with water in the medium. The wear behaviours can be a combination of two kinds of wear and the sand erosive wear is worse than slurry erosive wear.

Synthesis of nano-to micrometer-sized B_(4)C particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites via powder metallurgy and subsequent heat treatment

B4C/6061Al composites reinforced with nano-to micrometer-sized B4C particles were fabricated via powder metallurgy route consisting of spark plasma sintering(SPS)and hot extrusion and rolling(HER),followed by T6 treatment.The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties were investigated.Results showed that the status of B4C particles changed from a network after SPS to a dispersion distribution after HER.The substructured grains reached 66.5%owing to the pinning effect of nano-sized B4C,and the grain size was refined from 3.12μm to 1.56μm after HER.After T6 treatment,dispersed Mg_(2)Si precipitated phases formed,and the grain size increased to 1.87μm.Fine recrystallized grains around micro-sized B4C were smaller than those in the areas with uniform distribution of nano-sized B4C and Mg_(2)Si.The stress distributions of as-rolled and heated composites were similar,considering that the T6 heat treatment was only effective in eliminating the first internal stress.The Vickers,microhardness,and tensile strength of as-SPSed composites were greatly improved from HV 55.45,0.86 GPa,and 180 MPa to HV 77.51,1.08 GPa,and 310 MPa,respectively.Despite the precipitation strengthening,the corresponding values of as-heated composites decreased to HV 70.82,0.85 GPa,and 230 MPa owing to grain coarsening.

In-situ TiC_P/Al Composites Prepared by TE/QP Method

An in-situ TiCp/Al composite was prepared by a thermal explosion/quick pressure method （TE/QP）. The effect of Al content on the reaction temperature as well as the reaction rate has been studied. Phase constituents and the microstructure of the composites and the particle size of the reinforcement were analysed using X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results have shown that TiCp/Al composite with 40～70 vol. pct TiC particle reinforcement and high relative density can be directly obtained by TE/QP. TiC is the only reaction product when Al content in Al-Ti-C system is no more than 60 vol. pct, but Al3Ti phase will also form when Al content is more than 60 vol. pct. Increasing Al content prolongs the initial reaction time, reduces the highest reaction temperature and the reaction rate, and decreases the size of TiC particles. In addition, the microstructure of TiCp/Al composite and the structure of interface between TiCp and Al are studied using SEM and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The results show that the in-situ synthesized TiC particle has fcc cubic structure. The orientation between TiC particles and Al matrix can be described as （220）Al//（022）TiC and [112]Al//[011]TiC. Results of the mechanical property tests reveal that the ultimate strength （σ） and modulus （E） are 687 MPa and 142 GPa respectively when the Al content is 40 vol. pct. On contrary, 6 elongation increases by 3.2% with increasing Al content.

Diffusion welding process and joint's microstructure behavior of SiC_w/6061Al composite

The rules such as process parameters affecting joint properties and theevolution principle of weld's microstructure have been researched by adopting diffusion weldingprocess to connect SiC_w/6061Al composite. Experimental results show that there exists a criticaltemperature region between solid and liquid phase line of SiC_w/6061Al composite, and the regionwill shrink with the increasing of welding pressure. When diffusion welding occurred under thecritical temperature region, welding joint exhibits bad property of bonding, and the matrix and thereinforcement can't bond effectively. When diffusion welding occurred in the critical temperatureregion, the strength of welding joint changes widely with the variation of welding temperature. Whenwelding temperature varies in 10 deg C, the strength of welding joint will change obviously. Onlywhen welding temperature is higher than the critical temperature region, stable joint properties canbe obtained. Simultaneously the matrix and the reinforcement has better interfacial bonded indiffusion welding interface, and no obvious interface reaction occurred, and thus diffusion weldingof SiC_w/6061 Al composite can be successfully realized.

Improvement of high-temperature strength of 6061 Al matrix composite reinforced by dual-phased nano-AlN and submicron-Al_(2)O_(3)particles

Nano-AlN and submicron-Al_(2)O_(3) particles were simultaneously utilized in a 6061 Al matrix composite to improve the high-temperature strength.According to the SEM and TEM characterization,nano-AlN and submicron-Al_(2)O_(3) particles are uniformly distributed in the Al matrix.Brinell hardness results indicate that different from the traditional 6061 Al matrix alloy,the aging kinetics of the composite is obviously accelerated by the reinforcement particles.The T6-treated composite exhibits excellent tensile properties at both room temperature and elevated temperature.Especially at 350℃,the T6-treated composite not only has a high yield strength of 121 MPa and ultimate tensile strength of 128 MPa,but also exhibits a large elongation of 11.6%.Different strengthening mechanisms of nano-AlN and submicron-Al_(2)O_(3) particles were also discussed in detail.