Ballistic performance of titanium-based layered composites made using blended elemental powder metallurgy and hot isostatic pressing

Metal matrix composites tiles based on Ti-6Al-4V(Ti64)alloy,reinforced with 10,20,and 40(vol%)of either TiC or TiB particles were made using press-and-sinter blended elemental powder metallurgy(BEPM)and then bonded together into 3-layer laminated plates using hot isostatic pressing(HIP).The laminates were ballistically tested and demonstrated superior performance.The microstructure and properties of the laminates were analyzed to determine the effect of the BEPM and HIP processing on the ballistic properties of the layered plates.The effect of porosity in sintered composites on further diffusion bonding of the plates during HIP is analyzed to understand the bonding features at the interfaces between different adjacent layers in the laminate.Exceptional ballistic performance of fabricated structures was explained by a significant reduction in the residual porosity of the BEPM products by their additional processing using HIP,which provides an unprecedented increase in the hardness of the layered composites.It is argued that the combination of the used two technologies,BEPM and HIP is principally complimentary for the materials in question with the abilities to solve the essential problems of each used individually.

In-situ additive manufacturing of high strength yet ductility titanium composites with gradient layered structure using N_(2)

It has always been challenging work to reconcile the contradiction between the strength and plasticity of titanium materials.Laser powder bed fusion(LPBF) is a convenient method to fabricate innovative composites including those inspired by gradient layered materials.In this work,we used LPBF to selectively prepare Ti N/Ti gradient layered structure(GLSTi)composites by using different N_(2)–Ar ratios during the LPBF process.We systematically investigated the mechanisms of in-situ synthesis Ti N,high strength and ductility of GLSTi composites using microscopic analysis,TEM characterization,and tensile testing with digital image correlation.Besides,a digital correspondence was established between the N_(2) concentration and the volume fraction of LPBF in-situ synthesized Ti N.Our results show that the GLSTi composites exhibit superior mechanical properties compared to pure titanium fabricated by LPBF under pure Ar.Specifically,the tensile strength of GLSTi was more than 1.5times higher than that of LPBF-formed pure titanium,reaching up to 1100 MPa,while maintaining a high elongation at fracture of 17%.GLSTi breaks the bottleneck of high strength but low ductility exhibited by conventional nanoceramic particle-strengthened titanium matrix composites,and the hetero-deformation induced strengthening effect formed by the Ti N/Ti layered structure explained its strength-plasticity balanced principle.The microhardness exhibits a jagged variation of the relatively low hardness of 245 HV0.2 for the pure titanium layer and a high hardness of 408 HV0.2 for the N_(2) in-situ synthesis layer.Our study provides a new concept for the structure-performance digital customization of 3D-printed Ti-based composites.

Ceramic particles reinforced copper matrix composites manufactured by advanced powder metallurgy:preparation, performance, and mechanisms

Copper matrix composites doped with ceramic particles are known to effectively enhance the mechanical properties,thermal expansion behavior and high-temperature stability of copper while maintaining high thermal and electrical conductivity.This greatly expands the applications of copper as a functional material in thermal and conductive components,including electronic packaging materials and heat sinks,brushes,integrated circuit lead frames.So far,endeavors have been focusing on how to choose suitable ceramic components and fully exert strengthening effect of ceramic particles in the copper matrix.This article reviews and analyzes the effects of preparation techniques and the characteristics of ceramic particles,including ceramic particle content,size,morphology and interfacial bonding,on the diathermancy,electrical conductivity and mechanical behavior of copper matrix composites.The corresponding models and influencing mechanisms are also elaborated in depth.This review contributes to a deep understanding of the strengthening mechanisms and microstructural regulation of ceramic particle reinforced copper matrix composites.By more precise design and manipulation of composite microstructure,the comprehensive properties could be further improved to meet the growing demands of copper matrix composites in a wide range of application fields.

Functionally graded structure of a nitride-strengthened Mg_(2)Si-based hybrid composite

The ex-situ incorporation of the secondary SiC reinforcement,along with the in-situ incorporation of the tertiary and quaternary Mg_(3)N_(2) and Si_(3)N_(4) phases,in the primary matrix of Mg_(2)Si is employed in order to provide ultimate wear resistance based on the laser-irradiation-induced inclusion of N_(2) gas during laser powder bed fusion.This is substantialized based on both the thermal diffusion-and chemical reactionbased metallurgy of the Mg_(2)Si–SiC/nitride hybrid composite.This study also proposes a functional platform for systematically modulating a functionally graded structure and modeling build-direction-dependent architectonics during additive manufacturing.This strategy enables the development of a compositional gradient from the center to the edge of each melt pool of the Mg_(2)Si–SiC/nitride hybrid composite.Consequently,the coefficient of friction of the hybrid composite exhibits a 309.3%decrease to–1.67 compared to–0.54 for the conventional nonreinforced Mg_(2)Si structure,while the tensile strength exhibits a 171.3%increase to 831.5 MPa compared to 485.3 MPa for the conventional structure.This outstanding mechanical behavior is due to the(1)the complementary and synergistic reinforcement effects of the SiC and nitride compounds,each of which possesses an intrinsically high hardness,and(2)the strong adhesion of these compounds to the Mg_(2)Si matrix despite their small sizes and low concentrations.

Preparation of ZrB_(2)-ZrO_(2)-SiC Composite Powder by Carbothermal Reduction from Zircon

Using zircon,boric acid and carbon black as starting materials,ZrB_(2)-ZrO_(2)-SiC composite powder was synthesized by calcining at 1500℃in flowing argon atmosphere.The effects of the soaking time(3,6 and 9 h)and the addition of additive AlF_(3)(0,0.5%,1.0%,1.5%,2.0%and 2.5%,by mass)on the phase composition and the microstructure of the synthesized products were investigated.The results show that:(1)ZrB_(2)-ZrO_(2)-SiC composite powder can be synthesized by carbothermal reduction at 1500℃in flowing argon atmosphere;ZrB_(2) and ZrO_(2) are granular-like,and SiC crystals are fiberous;(2)with the soaking time increasing,the amount of ZrB_(2) increases,the amounts of m-ZrO_(2) and SiC decrease,and the total amount of non-oxides ZrB_(2),SiC and ZrC gradually increases;the optimal soaking time is 3 h;(3)compared with the sample without AlF_(3),the sample with 0.5% AlF_(3) has decreased m-ZrO_(2)amount,noticeably increased ZrB_(2) amount but decreased SiC amount;however,when the addition of AlF_(3) increases from 0.5%to 2.5%,the m-ZrO_(2) amount increases,the ZrB_(2)amount decreases,and the SiC amount changes slightly;the optimum AlF_(3)addition is 0.5%.

Coarse WC Particles Ceramic-Metal Composite Coating by Laser Cladding

The coarse WC particles ceramic-metal com- posite coatings with WC density of 67 wt-% and thickness of 1.0-1.2 mm have been cladded on 20Ni4Mo steel surface by a 2 kW CO_2 laser.The sintered WC particles with the size of 600-1000 μm are chosen as the main strengthening phase, Ni-base self-flux alloy as the binder in the compo- site coatings.The microstructure and microhardness of both WC particles and binder are analysed.The rigid ball indention with acoustic emission technique is used to evaluate the brittleness of the coating.Finally,the abrasive wear resistance of the coating is tested.Besides,the coatings with the same ratio and size of WC parti- cles in low carbon steel tube rod were cladded on 20Ni4Mo steel by atomic hydrogen welding tech- nique and analysed by the same way,their results are compared.

Deformation behaviors and processing maps of CNTs/Al alloy composite fabricated by flake powder metallurgy

Deformation behaviors of CNTs/Al alloy composite fabricated by the method of flake powder metallurgy were investigated by hot compression tests, which were performed in the temperature range of 300?550 °C and strain rate range of 0.001? 10 s?1 with Gleeble?3500 thermal simulator system. Processing maps of the CNTs/Al alloy at different strains were calculated to study the optimum processing domain. Microstructures before and after hot compressions were characterized by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) method. Stress?strain curves indicate that the flow stress increases with the increase of strain rate and the decrease of temperature. The processing maps of the CNTs/Al alloy at different strains show that the optimum processing domain is 500?550 °C, 10 s?1 for hot working. EBSD analysis demonstrates that fully dynamic recrystallization occurs in the optimum processing domain (high strainrate 10 s?1), whereas the main soften mechanism is dynamic recovery at low strain rate (0.001 s?1).

Hot deformation and processing maps of Al_2O_3/Al composites fabricated by flake powder metallurgy

The deformation behaviors of Al2O3/Al composites were investigated by compressive tests conducted at temperature of 300-450 °C and strain rates of 0.001-1.0 s-1 with Gleeble-1500 D thermal simulator system. The results show that the flow stress increases with increasing strain rate and decreasing temperature. The hyperbolic sine constitutive equation can describe the flow stress behavior of Al2O3/Al composites, and the deformation activation energy and constitutive equations were calculated. The processing maps of Al2O3/Al-2 μm and Al2O3/Al-1 μm composites at strain of 0.6 were obtained and the optimum processing domains are in ranges of 300-330 °C, 0.007-0.03 s-1 and 335-360 °C, 0.015-0.06 s-1 for hot working, respectively. The instability zones of flow behavior can also be recognized by the maps.

Effect of glass fibre(GF) addition on microstructure and tensile property of GF/Pb composites fabricated by powder metallurgy

GF/Pb compositeswerefabricated by the method of powder metallurgy, and the density, microstructure and tensile propertywerecharacterized considering the size and content ofglass fibre （GF）. The results show that relative densities decrease with increasing GF fraction, and the 50μm-GF reinforced specimens exhibit a better densification than the 300μm-GF reinforced ones. The GF particles distribute quite uniformly inPb matrix, and the composites fabricated at low sintering temperature （〈200℃） possess fine-grain microstructure. The addition of GF significantly improves the strength of the Pb composites, and the ultimate tensile strength of the Pb composite reinforcedwith the addition of 50μm-0.5% GF（mass fraction）is about 30MPa higher than that of GF-free sample. For all composites groups, increasing the reinforcement content from 0.5%to 2%（mass fraction）results in a decrease in both tensile strength and ductility.

Densification process of 10%B_4C-AA2024 matrix composite strips by semi-solid powder rolling

Semi-solid powder rolling（SSPR） is a novel strip manufacturing process,which includes the features of semi-solid rolling and powder rolling.In this work,densification process and deformation mechanisms of B4 C and AA2024 mixed powders in the presence of liquid phase were investigated.The relationships between relative densities and rolling forces were analyzed as well.The results show that liquid fraction plays an important role in the densification process which can be divided into three stages.Rolling deformation is the main densification mechanism in deformation area when the liquid fraction is lower than 20%.When the liquid fraction is equal to or higher than 20%,the flowing and filling of liquid phase are the densification mechanisms in deformation area.The relative densities increase with increasing rolling forces.The relative density–rolling force curves are similar at 550 °C and 585 °C.The characteristics of the curve shapes are apparently different at 605 °C and 625 °C.

Comparative Assessment on Microstructure and Properties of in-situ TiC+Ti_(5)Si_(3)Reinforced TiAl-Sn-Zr Matrix Composites by Spark Plasma Sintering and Argon Protected Sintering

The effects of SiC particles(SiCp)on high temperature oxidation behavior of titanium matrix composites(TMCs)under different powder metallurgy processes were investigated.In situ Ti C+Ti_(5)Si_(3)reinforced titanium matrix composites were prepared by discharge plasma sintering(SPS)and argon protective sintering(APS).The results show that the two processes have a negligible effect on the composition and hardness of the samples,but the hardness of the two samples is significantly improved by adding SiCp.The apparent porosity of SPS process is obviously smaller than that of APS process,whereas,the apparent porosity increases slightly with the addition of SiCp.The oxide layer thickness and mass gain of the samples obtained by SPS process are smaller than those obtained by APS process.The oxide thickness and mass gain of both processes are further reduced by adding SiCp.The SPS composites showed the best high temperature oxidation resistance.Therefore,TMCs with Si Cp by SPS can effectively improve the high-temperature oxidation behavior of the materials.

Effect of powder mixing process on the microstructure and thermal conductivity of Al/diamond composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering

Two powder mixing processes, mechanical mixing （MM） and mechanical alloying （MA）, were used to prepare mixed Al/diamond powders, which were subsequently consolidated using spark plasma sintering （SPS） to produce bulk Al/diamond composites. The effects of the powder mixing process on the morphologies of the mixed powders, the microstructure and the thermal conductivity of the composites were investigated. The results show that the powder mixing process can significantly affect the microstructure and the thermal conductivity of the composites. Agglomerations of the particles occurred in mixed powders using MM for 30 min, which led to high pore content and weak interfacial bonding in the composites and resulted in low relative density and low thermal conductivity for the composites. Mixed powders of homogeneous distribution of diamond particles could be obtained using MA for 10 min and MM for 2 h. The composite prepared through MA indicated a high relative density but low thermal conductivity due to its defects, such as damaged particles, Fe impurity, and local interfacial debonding, which were mainly introduced in the MA process. In contrast, the composite made by MM for 2 h demonstrated high relative density and an excellent thermal conductivity of 325 W.m^-1.K^-1, owing to its having few defects and strong inter-facial bonding.

Preparation of nanosized W/Cu composite powder by sol-gel technique

Cu(NO3)(2) and (NH4)(6)H(2)W(12)O(40)center dot 4H(2)O were used to prepare W/Cu nanosized composite powder by sol-gel technique. The influences of heat treatment process, pH value of the solution and the amount of an addition agent on particle size were investigated by DSC, XRD and TEM. The results show that, at a certain heat treatment temperature, the W/Cu nanoparticle size increases with the pH value or the amount of the addition agent increasing.

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.

Effects of Metal and Composite Metal Nanopowders on the Thermal Decomposition of Ammonium Perchlorate (AP) and the Ammonium Perchlorate/Hydroxyterminated Polybutadiene (AP/HTPB) Composite Solid Propellant

Effects of metal (Ni, Cu, Al) and composite metal (NiB, NiCu, NiCuB) nanopowders on the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and composite solid propellant ammonium perchlorate/hydroxyterminated polybutadiene (AP/HTPB) were studied by thermal analysis (DTA). The results show that metal and composite metal nanopowders all have good catalytic effects on the thermal decomposition of AP and AP/HTPB composite solid propellant. The effects of metal nanopowders on the thermal decomposition of AP are less than those of the composite metal nanopowders. The effects of metal and composite metal nanopowders on the thermal decomposition of AP are different from those on the thermal decomposition of the AP/HTPB composite solid propellant.

Electromagnetic and microwave absorbing properties of FeCoB powder composites

The electromagnetic and microwave absorbing properties of FeCoB powder composites prepared by sin- gle-roller melt-spinning and mechanical milling processes were investigated in this paper. The result indicates that the flake-like powders are obtained. As milling time increases, the flake-like powder particles tend to agglomerate, causing the flake-like powders decrease gradually. The milling time plays an important role in the electromagnetic parameters which relates to the shape and size of the powder particles. The calculation shows that the sample milled for 6 h could achieve an optimal reflection loss of -11.5 dB at 5.8 GHz, with mass fraction of 83 % and a matching thickness of 1.8 mm. The result also indicates that the microwave absorbing properties of the FeCoB powder composites are adjustable by changing their thickness, and can be applied as a thinner microwave absorbing material in the range of 2-8 GHz.

Preparation and Mechanical Properties of-SiC Nanoparticle Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composite by a Multi-step Powder Metallurgy Process

β-SiC nanoparticle reinforced A1 matrix （nano-SiCp/A1） composite was prepared by a multi- step powder metallurgy strategy including presureless sintering, hot compacting process and hot extrusion. The microstructures of the as-prepared composites were observed by scanning electronic microscopy （SEM）, and the mechanical properties were characterized by tensile strength measurement and Brinell hardness test. The experimental results revealed that the tensile strength of the composite with the addition of 5wt%/3-SIC nanoprtieles could be increased to 215 MPa, increasing by 110% compared with pure A1 matrix. Comparative experiments reflected that theβ-SIC nanoprticles showed significant reinforcement effect than traditional a-SiC micro-sized particles. The preparation process and sintering procedure were investigated to develop a cost effective preparation strategy to fabricate nano-SiCp/A1 composite.

Process−microstructure−properties relationship in Al−CNTs−Al2O3 nanocomposites manufactured by hybrid powder metallurgy and microwave sintering process

Al−2CNTs−xAl2O3 nanocomposites were manufactured by a hybrid powder metallurgy and microwave sintering process.The correlation between process-induced microstructural features and the material properties including physical and mechanical properties as well as ultrasonic parameters was measured.It was found that physical properties including densification and physical dimensional changes were closely associated with the morphology and particle size of nanocomposite powders.The maximum density was obtained by extensive particle refinement at milling time longer than 8 h and Al2O3 content of 10 wt.%.Mechanical properties were controlled by Al2O3 content,dispersion of nano reinforcements and grain size.The optimum hardness and strength properties were achieved through incorporation of 10 wt.%Al2O3 and homogenous dispersion of CNTs and Al2O3 nanoparticles(NPs)at 12 h of milling which resulted in the formation of high density of dislocations and extensive grain size refinement.Also both longitudinal and shear velocities and attenuation increase linearly by increasing Al2O3 content and milling time.The variation of ultrasonic velocity and attenuation was attributed to the degree of dispersion of CNTs and Al2O3 and also less inter-particle spacing in the matrix.The larger Al2O3 content and more homogenous dispersion of CNTs and Al2O3 NPs at longer milling time exerted higher velocity and attenuation of ultrasonic wave.

Indium tin oxide nanosized composite powder prepared using waste ITO target

Indium tin oxide （ITO） nano-particles were prepared directly using waste ITO target, which had been coated by magnetron controlled sputtering. The waste ITO target was cleaned with de-ionized water, and then dissolved in acid, filtrated, neutralized, manipulated through azeotropic distillation and finally dried, and in this way the precursor of indium tin hydroxide was obtained. The nanosized rio composite powder was prepared after the precursor heat-treated at 500℃ for 2 h. TEM images show a narrow distribution of particle size is 5-20 nm and the particle size can be controlled. Its granule has a spherical shape and the dispersion of the particle is well. X-ray diffraction （XRD） patterns indicate the only cubic In2O3 phase in the ITO powder hot-treated at 500℃. The purity of ITO composite powder is 99.9907%. The content of radium within filtrate was detected by using the EDTA titration of determination of indium in the ITO powder and ITO target. Appropriate amount of SnCl4.5H2O was dissolved in the filtrate, and then ITO powder containing 10 wt.% SnO2 was successfully prepared by heat-treating.

The absorbing properties of Fe_(73.5) Cu_1 Nb_3Si_(13.5)B_9 amorphous powder/S-glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composite panels

Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 （or FeCuNbSiB） powder/ S-glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composite panels were pre- pared by mold pressing method. Metallographic analysis shows that the amorphous powders are evenly distributed between the layers of S-glass fibers. The effects of the Fe- CuNbSiB powder mass fraction on the complex permittivity, complex permeability, and microwave absorption of the composite panels have been studied in the frequency range of 2.6-18.0 GHz. The complex permittivity of the composite panels with different mass fractions of the FeCuNbSiB powders shows several peaks in the 2.6-18.0 GHz fre- quency range. The complex permeability of the composites decreases with the increasing frequency in the frequency range of 8-18 GHz. The composite with FeCuNbSiB/epoxy mass ratio of 2.5：1.0 has excellent microwave absorption properties of a minimum reflection loss value -30.5 dB at 10.93 GHz for a thickness of 2 mm. A reflection loss exceeding -10 dB can be obtained in a broad frequency range of 3.2-18.0 GHz with a thickness of 1.15-5.00 mm. For the FeCuNbSiB composites, the magnetic loss is the dominant term for microwave absorption. The FeCuNbSiB powders are a possible candidate for high-performance microwave absorption filler.