Effect of aluminum borate whisker coating on interface and mechanical properties of 6061Al matrix composites

Copper coating was deposited on the surface of aluminum borate whisker by an electroless plating method.This method was used to modify the interfacial property of squeeze-casting aluminum borate whisker reinforced 6061Al matrix composite.Interface observation indicates that the spinel reaction(MgAl2O4) is hindered by the copper coating,and the difference in interfacial reaction degree affects the tensile property and aging behavior of the composite.For the composite with less spinel reaction(MgAl2O4),its peak-aging process are postponed due to less depletion of magnesium.On the fracture surface of copper-coated composite dimples and fractures of whiskers are more,but on the fracture surface of uncoated composite pull-out of whiskers are more than that on the coated one.In uncoated composite the fracture generally originates from the near-interface-region.

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%.

Preparation and Electromechanical Properties of PVDF Matrix Piezoelectric Composites Containing Highly Oriented BaTiO_3 Whiskers

The piezoelectric composites containing highly oriented BaTiO3 whiskers as active phase and PVDF as matrix have been prepared by micro-hole extrusion and orientation in carried fibers. The morphology of oriented BaTiO3 whiskers and microstructure of the composites were observed by SEM. As for its electromechanical properties, it is found that the dielectric constant, piezoelectric constant and remnant of polarization in the BaTiO3 whisker-PVDF composite are considerably higher than that in the BaTiO3 powders-PVDF composite, while the loss factors follow the opposite trend. For the BaTiO3 whisker-PVDF composite, the values of ε, d33 and Pr parallel to the whisker orientation (normal specimen) are much higher than that perpendicular to the whisker orientation (parallel specimen). The significant effects of the connective passages of active phase on electromechanical properties of the piezoelectric composites has also been investigated.

Tailoring the texture and mechanical properties of 3%Y_(2)O_(3)p/ZGK200 composites fabricated by unidirectional and cross rolling followed by annealing

3%Y_(2)O_(3)p/ZGK200 composites were subjected to unidirectional rolling(UR)and cross rolling(CR)at 400℃and 350℃followed by annealing at 300℃for 1 h.The microstructure,texture and mechanical properties of rolled and annealed composites were systematically studied.The rolled composites exhibited a heterogeneous microstructure,consisting of deformed grains elongated along rolling direction(RD)and Y_(2)O_(3)particles bands distributed along RD.After annealing,static recrystallization(SRX)occurred and most deformed grains transformed into equiaxed grains.A non-basal texture with two strong T-texture components was obtained after UR while a non-basal elliptical/circle texture with circle multi-peaks was obtained after CR,indicating that rolling path had great influences on texture of the composites.After annealing process,R-texture component disappeared or weakened,as results,a non-basal texture with double peaks tilting from normal direction(ND)to transverse direction(TD)and a more random non-basal texture with circle multi-peaks were obtained for UR and CR composites,respectively.The yield strength of rolled composites after UR showed obvious anisotropy along RD and TD while a low anisotropic yield strength was obtained after CR.Some Y_(2)O_(3)particles broke during rolling.The fracture of the composites was attributed to the existence of Y_(2)O_(3)clusters and interfacial debonding between particles and matrix during tension,as a result,the ductility was not as superior as matrix alloy.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Multiscale SiC_p Hybrid Reinforced 6061 Aluminum Matrix Composites

The performance of solid solution aging treatment on aluminum matrix composites prepared by powder metallurgy and reinforced with 6061 aluminum alloy powder as matrix;meanwhile, nano silicon carbide particles(nm Si Cp), submicron silicon carbide particles(1 μm Si Cp) and Ti particles were studied. The Al/Si Cp composite powder was prepared by high-energy ball milling, and then cold-pressed, sintered, hotextruded, and then heat-treated with different solution temperatures and aging times for the extruded composites. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS), X-ray diffractometer(XRD) and extrusion testing were used to analyze and test the microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminum matrix composites. The results show that after the multi-stage solid solution at 530 ℃×2 h+535 ℃×2 h+540 ℃×2 h, the particles are mainly equiaxed grains and uniformly distributed. There is no reinforcement agglomeration, and the surface is dense and the insoluble phase is basically dissolved. In the matrix, the strengthening effect is good, and the hardness and compressive strength are 179.43 HV and 680.42 MPa, respectively. Under this solution process, when the aluminum matrix composites are aged at 170 ℃ for 10 h, the hardness and compressive strength can reach their peaks and increase to 195.82 HV and 721.48 MPa, respectively.

Influence of CaCO_3 Whisker Content on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Polyetheretherketone Composites

The mechanical and tribological properties of polyetheretherketone （PEEK） composites filled with CaCO3 whisker in various content of 0～45% （wt pct） were investigated. The composite specimens were prepared by compression molding. Tribological testing of composites in dry wear mode against carbon steel ring was carried out on a MM200 block-on-ring apparatus. Data on neat PEEK were also included for comparison. It was observed that inclusion of CaCO3 whisker affected the most mechanical properties and the friction and wear in a beneficial way. With an increase in CaCO3 whisker content, friction coefficient continuously decreased but the trends in wear performance varied. The specific wear rate showed minima as 1.28×10^-6 mm^3/Nm for 25% CaCO3 whisker inclusion followed by a slow increase for further CaCO3 whisker addition. In terms of friction applications, when the tribological and mechanical properties are combined, the optimal content of CaCO3 whisker in the filled PEEK should be recommended as 15% to 20%. Fairly good correlations are observed in friction coefficient vs bending modulus and wear rate vs bending strength, confirming that the bending properties prove to be the most important tribology controlling parameters in the present work.

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SMC WHISKER REINFORCED HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE COMPOSITES

A new type of SiO_2-MgO-CaO (SMC) whisker was used to modify high density polyethylene (HDPE).The melting behavior and crystallinity were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).The dispersion of whiskers and interfacial adhesion in the prepared HDPE/SMC whisker composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).The mechanical properties were evaluated by mechanical tests and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).DSC data indicated that the melting temperature and the crystallini...

PREDICTION OF MECHANICAL PROPERTY OF WHISKER REINFORCED METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE: PART-I. MODEL AND FORMULATION

Based on study of strain distribution in whisker reinforced metal matrix composites, an explicit precise stiffness tensor is derived. In the present theory, the effect of whisker orientation on the macro property of composites is considered, but the effect of random whisker position and the complicated strain field at whisker ends are averaged. The derived formula is able to predict the stiffness modulus of composites with arbitrary whisker orientation under any loading condition. Compared with the models of micro mechanics, the present theory is competent for modulus prediction of actual engineering composites. The verification and application of the present theory are given in a subsequent paper published in the same issue

Enhanced mechanical properties of molybdenum alloy originating from composite strengthening of Re and CeO_(2)

To enhance the mechanical properties of molybdenum alloys at both room and high temperatures,Mo-14Re-1CeO_(2)alloy was synthesized using the powder metallurgy method,and the corresponding microstructure and mechanical properties were characterized.The results indicate that the ultimate tensile strength of Mo-14Re-1CeO_(2)reaches 657 MPa,with a total elongation of 35.2%,significantly higher than those of pure molybdenum(453 MPa,and 7.01%).Furthermore,the compression strength of Mo-14Re-1CeO_(2)at high temperature(1200℃)achieves 355 MPa,which is still larger than that of pure molybdenum(221 MPa).It is revealed that there is a coherent interface between CeO_(2)and the Mo-14Re matrix with CeO_(2)particles uniformly distributed in both intergranular and intragranular regions.The improvements in mechanical properties are primarily attributed to the formation of Mo-Re solid solution,grain refinement,and dispersion strengthening effect of CeO_(2).

Preparation and mechanical properties of carbon/carbon composites with high textured pyrolytic carbon matrix

Short carbon fiber felts with an initial porosity of 89.5% were deposited by isobaric, isothermal chemical vapor infiltration using natural gas as carbon source. The bulk density of the deposited carbon/carbon （C/C） composites was 1.89 g/cm3 after depositing for 150 h. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the C/C composites were studied by polarized light microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and three-point bending test. The results reveal that high textured pyrolytic carbon is deposited as the matrix of the composites, whose crystalline thickness and graphitization degree highly increase after heat treatment. A distinct decrease of the flexural strength and modulus accompanied by the increase of the toughness of the C/C composites is found to be correlated with the structural changes in the composites during the heat treatment process.

Effect of applied pressure on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Y quasicrystal-reinforced AZ91D magnesium matrix composites prepared by squeeze casting

The Mg-Zn-Y quasicrystal-reinforced AZ91 D magnesium matrix composites were prepared by squeeze casting process. The effects of applied pressure on microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The results show that squeeze casting process is an effective method to refine the grain. The composites are mainly composed of α-Mg, β-Mg17Al12 and Mg3Zn6Y icosahedral quasicrystal phase（I-phase）. With the increase of applied pressure, the contents of β-Mg17Al12 phase and Mg3Zn6 Y quasicrystal particles increase, further matrix grain refinement occurs and coarse dendritic α-Mg transforms into equiaxed grain structure. The composite exhibits the maximum ultimate tensile strength and elongation of 194.3 MPa and 9.2% respectively when the applied pressure is 100 MPa, and a lot of dimples appear on the tensile fractography. Strengthening mechanisms of quasicrystal-reinforced AZ91 D magnesium matrix composites are chiefly fine-grain strengthening and quasicrystal particles strengthening.

Microstructure, mechanical properties and wear behaviour of Zn-Al-Cu-TiB_2 in situ composites

Zn-Al-Cu-TiB2（ZA27-TiB2） in situ composites were fabricated via reactions between molten aluminum and mixed halide salts（K2TiF6 and KBF4） at temperature of 875 °C. The microstructure, mechanical properties and wear behavior of the composites were investigated. Microstructure analysis shows that fine and clean TiB2 particles distribute uniformly through the matrix. The mechanical properties of the composites increase with the increase in TiB2 content. As TiB2 content increases to 5%（mass fraction）, an improvement of HB 18 in hardness and 49 MPa in ultimate tensile strength（UTS） is achieved. The overall results reveal that the composites possess low friction coefficients and the wear rate is reduced from 5.9×10-3 to 1.3×10-3 mm3/m after incorporating 5% TiB2. Friction coefficient and worn surface analysis indicate that there is a change in the wear mechanism in the initial stage of wear test after introducing in situ TiB2 particles into the matrix.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ31-Mg_2Si in situ composite fabricated by repetitive upsetting

AZ31-4.6% Mg2Si （mass fraction） composite was prepared by conventional casting method. Repetitive upsetting （RU） was applied to severely deforming the as-cast composite at 400 ℃ for 1, 3, and 5 passes. Finite element analysis of the material flow indicates that deformation concentrates in the bottom region of the sample after 1 pass, and much more uniform deformation is obtained after 5 passes. During multi-pass RU process, both dendritic and Chinese script type Mg2Si phases are broken up into smaller particles owing to the shear stress forced by the matrix. With the increasing number of RU passes, finer grain size and more homogeneous distribution of Mg2Si particles are obtained along with significant enhancement in both strength and ductility. AZ31-4.6%Mg2Si composite exhibits tensile strength of 284 MPa and elongation of 9.8%after 5 RU passes at 400 ℃ compared with the initial 128 MPa and 5.4%of original AZ31-4.6%Mg2Si composite.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of (TiB+La_2O_3)/Ti composites heat treated at different temperatures

Near-α titanium matrix composites reinforced with TiB and La2O3 were synthesized by common casting and hot-working technology.The effects of β heat treatment temperature on the microstructure and the tensile properties of the in situ synthesized（TiB＋La2O3）/Ti were studied.Microstructure was studied by OM and TEM,and tensile tests were carried out at room temperature and 923 K,respectively.Results show that with the increase of β heat treatment temperature,prior β phase grain size increases and αcolony size decreases.Room temperature tensile strength increases with the increase of β heat treatment temperature,which can be attributed to the decrease of α colony size with the increase of β heat treatment temperature.However,high-temperature tensile strength decreases with the increase of β heat treatment temperature and the decrease of the high-temperature tensile strength is due to the increase of the prior β phase grain size.

Effects of thermal oxidation on microwave-absorbing and mechanical properties of SiC_f/SiC composites with PyC interphase

The SiCf/SiC composites containing PyC interphase were prepared by chemical vapor infiltration process. The influences of thermal oxidation on the complex permittivity and microwave absorption properties of Si Cf/Si C composites were investigated in the frequency range of 8.2-12.4 GHz. Both the real and imaginary parts of the complex permittivity decreased after thermal oxidation. The composites after 100 h thermal oxidation showed that reflection loss exceeded-10 d B in the frequency of 9.7-11.9 GHz and the minimum value was-11.4 d B at 11.0 GHz. The flexural strength of composites decreased but fracture behavior was improved obviously after thermal oxidation. These results indicate that the SiCf/SiC composites containing PyC interphase after thermal oxidation possess good microwave absorbing property and fracture behavior.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of GTA weldments of titanium matrix composites prepared with or without current pulsing

The effects of current pulsing on the microstructure, hardness and tensile properties at different temperatures of gas tungsten arc （GTA） weldments of titanium matrix composites were studied. Full-penetration butt joints were made with or without current pulsing. Optical microscopy, hardness test and scanning electron microscopy were employed to evaluate the metallurgical characteristics of welded joints. Tensile properties of weldments at different temperatures were studied and correlated with the microstructure. The results exhibit that current pulsing leads to the refinement of the weld microstrucmre and TiB whisker and the redistribution of reinforcements resulting in higher hardness, tensile strength and ductility of weldments in the as-welded condition.

Influence of FeCrAl fiber on microstructure and mechanical properties of FeCrAl(f)/HA composites

FeCrAl fiber-reinforced hydroxyapatite（HA） biocomposites（FeCrAl（f）/HA） were fabricated by the hot pressing technique.The metallographic microscopy,X-ray diffractometry,scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS） were used to observe and analyze the microstructure and composition of FeCrAl（f）/HA composites,respectively.The mechanical properties of FeCrAl（f）/HA composites were measured by the three-point-bending test.The results show that the composite can be reinforced by FeCrAl fiber and enhanced gradually,and then declined with the increase of the content of FeCrAl fiber（0-11%,volume fraction） in the whole range of experiments.Both the HA matrix and FeCrAl fiber integrate very tightly and bit into each other very deeply and counter-diffusion takes place to some extent at two-phase interface.The optimum parameters of FeCrAl（f）/HA composite are diameter of 22 μm,length of 1-2 mm and of volume faction of about 7% for FeCrAl fibers.

Improved wettability and mechanical properties of metal coated carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composites by squeeze melt infiltration technique

In order to improve the wettability and bonding performance of the interface between carbon fiber and aluminum matrix,nickel-and copper-coated carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composites were fabricated by the squeeze melt infiltration technique.The interface wettability,microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were compared and investigated.Compared with the uncoated fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composite,the microstructure analysis indicated that the coatings significantly improved the wettability and effectively inhibited the interface reaction between carbon fiber and aluminum matrix during the process.Under the same processing condition,aluminum melt was easy to infiltrate into the copper-coated fiber bundles.Furthermore,the inhibited interface reaction was more conducive to maintain the original strength of fiber and improve the fiber−matrix interface bonding performance.The mechanical properties were evaluated by uniaxial tensile test.The yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus of the copper-coated carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composite were about 124 MPa,140 MPa and 82 GPa,respectively.In the case of nickel-coated carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composite,the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus were about 60 MPa,70 MPa and 79 GPa,respectively.The excellent mechanical properties for copper-coated fiber-reinforced composites are attributed to better compactness of the matrix and better fiber−matrix interface bonding,which favor the load transfer ability from aluminam matrix to carbon fiber under the loading state,giving full play to the bearing role of carbon fiber.

Wear properties of potassium titanate whiskers-reinforced Al-12Si alloy composites

Potassium titanate （K2O·6TIO2） whiskers-reinforced Al-12Si alloy composites were prepared by the squeeze casting technique. Wear properties of the composites were investigated by pin-on-disc tests under dry conditions. The experimental results showed that K20 ·6TiO2 whiskers can effectively reinforce the matrix alloy and improve the wear resistance of the composite when the volume fraction of whiskers is low at 10 vol%. However, the composites with a high volume fraction of whiskers showed lower wear resistance than the Al-12Si alloy. The main wear mechanism of the composites is clarified as de-lamination and abrasive wear.

Improving Densification and Mechanical Properties of FeAl/TiC Composites by Addition of Ni

FeAl/TiC composites were fabricated by hot pressing blended elemental powders. The effects of Ni-doping on thedensification and mechanical properties of the composites were studied. Results show that the density of the composites decreases with the content of TiC increasing, and the addition of Ni significantly improves the densificationprocess by enhancing mass transfer in the bonding phase. The mechanical properties of the composites are closelyrelated with their porosity. Besides increasing the density of the composites, the addition of Ni improves the mechanical properties by other three effects: solution-strengthening the bonding phase, strengthening the FeAI-TiC interfaceand increasing ductile fracture in FeAl phase.