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.

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. [

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of as Cast Aluminium Alloy 7075/Basalt Dispersed Metal Matrix Composites

This paper aims to study the effects of short basalt fiber reinforcement on the mechanical properties of cast aluminium alloy 7075 composites containing short basalt fiber of content ranging from 2.5 to 10 percent by weight in steps of 2.5 percent and fabricated using compo-casting technique. The objective is to investigate the process feasibility and resulting material properties such as young’s modulus, ductility, hardness & compression strength. The properties obtained are compared with those of as-cast that were manufactured under the same fabrication conditions. The results of this study revealed that, as the short basalt fiber content was increased, there were significant increases in the ultimate tensile strength, hardness, compressive strength and Young’s modulus, accompanied by a reduction in its ductility. Furthermore, the microstructure & facture studies were carried out using Optical Microscopy (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in order to establish relationships between the quality of the fiber/aluminium interface bond and hence to link with mechanical properties of the composites.

Prediction of the Elastic Properties of Short Basalt Fiber Reinforced Al Alloy Metal Matrix Composites

In this paper, a micro-mechanical model is implemented in software for the prediction of local mechanical properties of discontinuous short fiber reinforced composites. The model, based on the Mori and Tanaka method, shear-lag, computational model, Nielsen-Chen model and Miwa’s model is used to predict the elastic behaviour of basalt short fiber reinforced with Al alloy composites. The Al/basalt Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) contain basalt short fiber from 2.5% to 10% in steps of 2.5 wt.% and are fabricated using squeeze infiltration technique. The effects of fiber length and orientation on elastic properties of Al/basalt MMCs are investigated. A comparison between the experimental data and the theoretical data based on physical models is made, and the significance of the findings is discussed. The results show that as short basalt fiber content was increased from 2.5% to 10% by wt.%, an improvement in Young’s modulus of 13.26% has been observed. Optical microscopy was used to examine the general microstructure and fiber distribution in the composite produced. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was performed on the fractured surface to understand the failure mechanisms.

Influence of Machining Parameter on Tool Life While Machining Hybrid Metal Matrix Composites

A metal matrix composite constitutes a continuous metallic matrix and a discontinuous phase known as reinforcement. The hybrid metal matrix composites (Hmmcs) have been used to manufacture drive shafts, disc brake rotors, brake drums, connecting rods pistons, engine block cylinder liners for automotive and rail vehicle applications. The Hmmcs castings of diameter 120 mm and length 300 mm were prepared through sand mould technique following stir casting methodology. The cast components further subjected to evaluation of physical properties and machining tests using two grades of coated inserts and PCD inserts. The experiments were carried out following ISO 3685 standards. The coating thickness of the TiN coated and TiAlN coated inserts were measured using Kalo testing method; the results of the test show that the interface of the substrate and coating was free from the porosity, and the coating thickness of TiN coating was 4.84 microns and TiAlN coating was measured 4.6 microns. The results of the experiments show that performance of the PCD insert was better than coated inserts at 0.1 mm/rev feed; however at 0.2 mm/revolution feed PCD insert failed by micro chipping of cutting edge while machining Hmmcs. When TiAlN coated inserts were used to machine Hmmcs the coated inserts failed by gradual wear and BUE formation.

On the homogenization of metal matrix composites using strain gradient plasticity

The homogenized response of metal matrix composites（MMC） is studied using strain gradient plasticity.The material model employed is a rate independent formulation of energetic strain gradient plasticity at the micro scale and conventional rate independent plasticity at the macro scale. Free energy inside the micro structure is included due to the elastic strains and plastic strain gradients. A unit cell containing a circular elastic fiber is analyzed under macroscopic simple shear in addition to transverse and longitudinal loading. The analyses are carried out under generalized plane strain condition. Micro-macro homogenization is performed observing the Hill-Mandel energy condition,and overall loading is considered such that the homogenized higher order terms vanish. The results highlight the intrinsic size-effects as well as the effect of fiber volume fraction on the overall response curves, plastic strain distributions and homogenized yield surfaces under different loading conditions. It is concluded that composites with smaller reinforcement size have larger initial yield surfaces and furthermore,they exhibit more kinematic hardening.

High-temperature tribological performance of functionally graded Stellite 6/WC metal matrix composite coatings manufactured by laser-directed energy deposition

Wear-driven tool failure is one of the main hurdles in the industry.This issue can be addressed through surface coating with ceramic-reinforced metal matrix composites.However,the maximum ceramic content is limited by cracking.In this work,the tribological behaviour of the functionally graded WC-ceramic-particlereinforced Stellite 6 coatings is studied.To that end,the wear resistance at room temperature and 400°C is investigated.Moreover,the tribological analysis is supported by crack sensitivity and hardness evaluation,which is of utmost importance in the processing of composite materials with ceramic-particle-reinforcement.Results indicate that functionally graded materials can be employed to increase the maximum admissible WC content,hence improving the tribological behaviour,most notably at high temperatures.Additionally,a shift from abrasive to oxidative wear is observed in high-temperature wear testing.

Optimization of Tribological Performance of Al-6061T6-15% SiCp-15% Al₂O₃Hybrid Metal Matrix Composites Using Taguchi Method &Grey Relational Analysis

In this investigation, optimization of tribological performance parameters of Al-6061T6 alloy reinforced with SiC (15% by weight) and Al2O3 (15% by weight) particulates having particle size of 37 μm each has been presented. The wear and frictional properties of the hybrid metal matrix composites have been studied by performing dry sliding wear test using pin-on-disc wear tester. A L27 orthogonal array is selected for the analysis of the data. From the test results it is observed that sliding distance has the significant contribution in controlling the friction and wear behaviour of hybrid composites. A confirmation test is also carried out to verify the accuracy of the results obtained through the optimization. In addition an optical micrograph test is also performed on the wear tracks to study the wear mechanism.

Simulation of local effect of reinforcement on temperature field during solidification of aluminum metal matrix composite

The effect of reinforcement on the solidification of pure metal matrix composites (MMCs) was simulated using a two-dimensional solidification temperature field model by the finite element method. The concept of the character length was proposed to describe the size of reinforcement local heat influential zone in MMCs solidification according to the change of the morphologies of solid-liquid interface. The relationship between the character length and the geometrical conditions, the boundary condition and physical properties of the reinforcement were studied, respectively. The results show that the width of the unit and the cold boundary temperature have no effect on the character lengths but have effect on the distance between cold boundary and reinforcement (l) and the thermal parameters of the reinforcement. An experimental rule to predict the value of the character length was derived and applied.

Steam as coolant and lubricant in turning of metal matrix composites

Green cutting has become focus of attention in ecological and environmental protection. Steam is cheap, pollu-tion-free and eco-friendly, and then is a good and economical coolant and lubricant. Steam generator and steam feeding system were developed to generate and feed steam. Comparative experiments were carried out in cutting AA6061-15 vol.% SiC (25 μm particle size), with cubic boron nitride (CBN) insert KB-90 grade under the conditions of compressed air, oil water emulsion, steam as coolant and lubricant, and dry cutting, respectively. The experimental results show that, with steam as coolant and lu-bricant, gradual reduction in the cutting force, friction coefficient, surface roughness and cutting temperature values were observed. Further, there was reduction in built up edge formation. It is proved that use of water steam as coolant and lubricant is environ-mentally friendly.

CVD Coating of Oxide Particles for the Production of Novel Particle-Reinforced Iron-Based Metal Matrix Composites

This paper focuses on surface metallization of oxide particles by means of titanium nitride (TiN) thin films for the production of highly wear-resistant metal matrix composites (MMC) on Fe-base for wear protection applications. These powder-metallurgically produced materials consist of a metallic matrix with embedded oxide hard-particles such as alumina or zirconia. The poor wettability of these oxides by iron-base melts and the resulting weak bonding between the components lead to porous materials and weak tribomechanical properties, thus limiting the material’s application range. To counteract such problems, this paper describes a processing route in which the oxide particles are pre-metallized by application of a thin TiN coating by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This surface metallization should increase the wettability and bonding behavior between the ionically bonded particles and the iron-base alloy, which should improve the mechanical and tribological properties. Therefore, a CVD device for coating ceramic particles was constructed and is described in this paper. Furthermore, coatings deposited on the ceramic sub-strates were investigated by means of RBS, SEM and XRD. In addition, the feasibility of producing metal matrix composites (MMC) by admixing the TiN-coated oxide particles with a Fe-base alloy and their further densification by supersolidus liquid-phase sintering is demonstrated.

Microstructure and thermal properties of copper matrix composites reinforced with titanium-coated graphite fibers

Milled form of mesophase pitch-based graphite fibers were coated with a titanium layer using chemical vapor deposition technique and Ti-coated graphite fiber/Cu composites were fabricated by hot-pressing sintering. The composites were characterized with X-ray diffraction, scanning/transmission electron microscopies, and by mea- suring thermal properties, including thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion （CTE）. The results show that the milled fibers are preferentially oriented in a plane perpendicular to the pressing direction, leading to anisotropic thermal properties of the composites. The Ti coating reacted with graphite fiber and formed a continuous and uniform TiC layer. This carbide layer establishes a good metallurgical interracial bonding in the composites, which can improve the thermal properties effectively. When the fiber content ranges from 35 vol% to 50 vol%, the in-plane thermal conductivities of the composites increase from 383 to 407 W.（m.K）-~, and the in-plane CTEs decrease from 9.5 x 10-6 to 6.3 10-6 K-1.

Predicted interfacial thermal conductance and thermal conductivity of diamond/Al composites with various interfacial coatings

The interfacial thermal conductance （ITC） and thermal conductivity （TC） of diamond/Al composites with various coatings were theoretically studied and discussed. A series of predictions and numerical analyses were performed to investigate the effect of thickness, sound velocity, and other parameters of coating layers on the ITC and TC. It is found that both the ITC and TC decline with increasing coating thickness, especially for the coatings with relatively low thermal conductivity. Nevertheless, if the coating thickness is close to zero, or quite a small value, the ITC and TC are mainly determined by the constants of the coating material. Under this condition, coatings such as Ni, TiC, Mo 2 C, SiC, and Si can significantly improve the ITC and TC of diamond/Al composites. By contrast, coatings like Ag will exert the negative effect. Taking the optimization of interfacial bonding into account, conductive carbides such as TiC or Mo 2 C with low thickness can be the most suitable coatings for diamond/Al composites.

Fabrication and thermal conductivity of copper matrix composites reinforced by tungsten-coated carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes （CNTs） were coated by tungsten using metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Magnetic stirring was employed to disperse the W-coated CNTs （W-CNTs） in a Cu matrix, and then, the mixed powders were consolidated by spark plasma sintering. The W-CNTs obtained a uniform dispersion within the Cu matrix when the W-CNT content was less than 5.0vo1%, but high content of W-CNTs （10vol%） resulted in the presence of clusters. The W-CNT/Cu composites containing low content of W-CNTs （〈5.0vol%） exhibited a higher thermal conductivity than the sintered pure Cu, while the CNT/Cu composites exhibited no increase in thermal conductivity after the incorporation of uncoated CNTs. The W-CNT content was found to play a crucial role in determining the thermal conductivity of the W-CNT/Cu composites. The thermal conductivity of the W-CNT/Cu composites increased first and then decreased with the W-CNT content increasing. When the W-CNT content was 2.5vo1%, the W-CNT/Cu composite obtained the maximum value of thermal conductivity. The thermal resistance of the （W-CNT）-Cu interface was predicted in terms of Maxwell-Gamett effective medium approximation, and its calculated value was about 3.0× 10-9 m2.K.W-l.

Effect of Sb Addition on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al-18B-4O-33/AS-52 Magnesium Matrix Composites

Mg-Al-Si 镁矩阵的微观结构上的锑增加的效果合成被调查。Sb 的增加能修改有中国手迹形状到好的多角形的 Mg2Si 粒子的形态学。与 Alborex 络腮胡子合成的镁矩阵被使用一个 squeeze 渗入方法成功地制作。张力的力量和延伸在 Sb 被增加修改合金并且在空间和高温度合成。

Relationship between dispersibility of ZrO2 nanoparticles in Ni-ZrO2 electroplated nanocomposite coatings and mechanical properties of nanocomposite coatings

Ni-ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings with monodispersed ZrO2 nanoparticles were prepared from the composite plating bath containing dispersant under DC electrodeposition condition. It is found that the morphology, orientation and hardness of the composite coating with monodispersed ZrO2 nanoparticles have lots of difference from the composite coating with agglomerated ZrO2 nanoparticles and pure nickel coating. Especially, the result of hardness shows that only a very low volume fraction (less than 1%) of monodispered ZrO2 nanoparticles in Ni-ZrO2 composite coatings will result in higher hardness of the coating. The hardness of Ni-ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings with monodispersed and agglomerated ZrO2 nanoparticles are HV 529 and HV 393, respectively. The hardness value of the former composite coatings is over 1.3 times higher than that of the later. All these composite coatings are 2 - 3 times higher than that of pure nickel plating (HV 207) prepared under the same conditions.

激光熔覆WC/316L复合涂层结构及磨损性能

为改善激光熔覆过程中WC增强金属基复合涂层分解与分布不均匀的问题,采用激光熔覆技术制备了50%WC含量的WC/316L复合涂层,分别采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、显微维氏硬度计、摩擦磨损试验机表征了熔敷层的组织形貌、硬度与摩擦磨损性能。结果显示,低热输入量可以防止WC颗粒下沉,提升熔覆层厚度方向上的WC颗粒分布均匀性;但WC的平面分布均匀性较差,同时低热输入导致WC颗粒结合较弱,易发生脱落;熔覆过程中,粉末中15%的WC发生分解。研究表明,通过降低激光热输入量,可以制备WC厚度方向较为均匀的复合涂层,提升熔覆层耐磨性,但是需要优化WC平面分布均匀性与WC颗粒结合性能。

金刚石/铜-硼复合材料界面结构及其对热导率和力学性能的影响

通过控制硼含量制备不同界面结构的金刚石/铜复合材料,研究复合材料的界面显微组织及其对热性能和力学性能的影响。结果表明,界面处形成微米级B4C齿状结构,该结构为界面结合提供冶金结合和机械啮合的双重作用。金刚石/铜-硼复合材料获得最高为695 W/(m·K)的热导率和535 MPa的弯曲强度。金刚石与B4C之间形成具有金刚石(111)//B4C (104)取向关系的半共格界面。微纳米级齿状结构可提高界面声子传输效率和界面结合强度。

金属基复合材料(MMCs)的原位制备

本文概述了几种原位法制备颗粒增强金属基复合材料 (MMCs)的基本原理和过程 ,包括原位凝固自生法、VLS法、自蔓延高温合成法 (SHS)、接触反应法、固 液反应法、混合盐反应法及直接氧化法 ,简述了原位复合材料的基本性能 。

High-temperature frictional wear behavior of MCrAlY-based coatings deposited by atmosphere plasma spraying

Al2O3-r2O03/NiCoCrAIYTa coatings were prepared via atmosphere plasma spraying （APS）. The microstructure and phase com- position of the coatings were analyzed by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, laser confocal scanning microsco- py （LSCM）, and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The dry frictional wear behavior of the coatings at 500℃ in static air was inves- tigated and compared with that of 0Cr25Ni20 steel. The results show that the coatings comprise the slatted layers of oxide phases, unmelted particles, and pores. The hot abrasive resistance of the coatings is enhanced compared to that of 0Cr25Ni20, and their mass loss is approxi- mately one-fifteenth that of 0Cr25Ni20 steel. The main wear failure mechanisms of the coatings are abrasive wear, fatigue wear, and adhe- sive wear.