Preparation and characterization of Al18B4O33 + BaPbO3/Al hybrid composite

In this paper, the aluminum borate whisker (ABOw) and BaPbO₃ particles (BPOp)/Al hybrid composite with radiation protection function was fabricated by squeeze casting technique. The microstructure and properties of the hybrid composite were investigated. The test results show that BPOp and aluminum matrix have a reaction, and this reaction forms a coating on the surface of ABOw. The introduction of BPOp increases radiation protection function of the matrix evidently, at the same time, the hybrid composite has better mechanical properties compared with the aluminum matrix and ABOw/Al composite.     

High-temperature shear strength of lead-free Sn-Sb-Ag/Al2O3 composite solder

The lead-free Sn-1.7Sb-1.5Ag solder alloy and the same material reinforced with 5 vol.% of 0.3-μm Al₂O₃ particles were synthesized using the powder-metallurgy route of blending, compaction, sintering, and extrusion. The mechanical properties of both monolithic and composite solders were studied by shear punch testing (SPT) at temperatures in the range of 25-130 °C. Depending on the test temperature, the shear yield stress (SYS) increased by 4.8-8.8 MPa, and ultimate shear strength (USS) increased by 6.2-8.8 MPa in the composite material. The strength improvement was mostly due to the CTE mismatch between the matrix and the particles, and to a lesser extent to the Orowan strengthening mechanism of the submicro-sized Al₂O₃ particles in the composite solder. The contribution of each of these mechanisms was used in a modified shear lag model to predict the total composite-strengthening achieved.     

Al2O3/Ti6Al4V diffusion bonding joints using Ag–Cu interlayer

Ceramic materials, such us alumina, are widely used for wear resistant and industrial components as in aircraft applications. On the other hand, Ti6Al4V is commonly used for aeronautical applications, due to its superplasticity, low weight and high mechanical resistance but has poor wear resistance because of its low resistance to plastic shearing. For these reasons numerous techniques have been developed to improve its wear resistance including joining to ceramic materials. Ceramics and alloys can be joined by several different processes and the use of an interlayer can further facilitate this process. In the present work Al₂O₃ and Ti6Al4V alloy have been diffusion bonded using a (Ag–Cu) interlayer. Identification of intermetallic phases formed within the bonded region enables the mechanical behaviour of the joints to be explained. These intermetallic phases are related to the bonding conditions applied (750 °C, 3 MPa with bonding times varied from 10 to 60 min).     

Effects of surface modification of β-CaSiO3 on electrospun poly(butylene succinate)/β-CaSiO3 composite fibers

In this experiment, pure PBSU fibers, PBSU/12.5% β-CaSiO₃, and PBSU/25% β-CaSiO₃ composite fibers were fabricated by electrospinning. In order to investigate the effects of surface modification of β-CaSiO₃ on composite fibers, β-CaSiO₃ nanowires were surface esterified using dodecyl alcohol. SEM micrographs showed that composite materials with modified β-CaSiO₃ have homogeneous fibrous structures similar as that of pure PBSU fibers, while the fibers containing unmodified β-CaSiO₃ were inhomogeneous and much larger in diameter, and also junctions where β-CaSiO₃ agglomerated could be found. Mechanical testing showed that with the addition of unmodified β-CaSiO₃ into PBSU matrix, the tensile strength of fibrous materials decreased obviously, and the decrease degree increased with increased β-CaSiO₃ content. However, the tensile stresses of composite materials after surface modification of β-CaSiO₃ turned back and increased about 40% compared to those containing unmodified β-CaSiO₃. All of these results suggested surface modification of β-CaSiO₃ was an effective approach to obtain composite fibrous materials with better morphologies and enhanced mechanical properties, and this method is supposed to be feasible in other fibrous material systems.     

Investigation of tribological and mechanical properties Al2O3–SiC reinforced Al composites manufactured by casting or P/M method

In this study, Al based Al₂O₃ and SiC particle reinforced composite materials were manufactured by casting or P/M method. Tribological properties of these composite materials were investigated by wearing with 10 N load and 50 rpm on a pin-on-disc wear test rig at dry conditions. Mechanical properties were investigated. The effects of reinforce materials on tribological and mechanical properties were investigated. In addition to that microstructure of these materials were investigated by optical and SEM microscope. Tribological and hardness properties of composites significantly improved by the use of particle reinforced into Al.     

Fabrication of bulk Al2O3 dispersed ultrafine-grained Cu matrix composite by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis casting route

Bulk Al₂O₃ dispersed ultrafine-grained (UFG) Cu matrix composite has been fabricated by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) casting route. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the as-fabricated materials have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and microhardness measurements and compression tests, respectively. The results show that the as-fabricated material has small amount of entrapped Al₂O₃ particles in uniform microstructure Cu having a grain size ranging from 200-500 nm with an elevated compressive yield stress (298 MPa) and an improved microhardness value (1.06 GPa). The possible strengthening mechanism of the product has been discussed.     

Economical synthesis of Al2O3 nanopowder using a precipitation method

Al₂O₃ nanopowder was synthesized by the precipitation method using inexpensive AlCl₃·6H₂O and Al powder as raw materials. The dried precipitate was heat treated in the range of 60-1200 °C. The influence of heat treatment on crystallization and phase transformation of the precipitate was investigated using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals that the particle size of the powders lies between 30 and 95 nm.     

Effect of Al2O3 particle size on vacuum breakdown behavior of Al2O3/Cu composite

In order to clarify the effect of Al₂O₃ particle size on the arc erosion behavior of the ceramic-reinforced Al₂O₃/Cu composite, Al₂O₃/Cu composites with different sizes of Al₂O₃ particles were prepared by powder metallurgy, the effect of Al₂O₃ particle size on the characteristics of arc motion was studied, and the mechanism of arc erosion of Al₂O₃/Cu composites was discussed as well. The results show that with decrease in the size of Al₂O₃ particles, the erosion area increases significantly and the erosion pits become shallower. The vacuum breakdown is preferred to appear in the area between Al₂O₃ particle and the copper matrix. Based on the experimental results and theoretical analysis, a particle partition arc model is proposed.     

Deformation mechanisms of a bimodal eutectic Mg72Cu5Zn23 ultrafine composite

Deformation behavior of a Mg₇₂Cu₅Zn₂₃ alloy containing bimodal eutectic structure has been systematically investigated based on microstructural changes upon different amounts of compressive strain. The microstructural evolution of the sample at the early stage of the deformation up to 3% strain reveals that a large number of twins form homogeneously in the α-Mg phase of the coarse eutectic structure. After further deformation to failure, propagation of cracks takes place along the interface between the fine and coarse eutectic structures forming a typical dimple-like morphology on the fracture surface, indicative of the effective dissipation of the stress.     

Effects of Y2O3 addition on microwave dielectric characteristics of Al2O3 ceramics

Microwave dielectric characteristics of alumina ceramics with yttria addition were investigated. The sintering temperature was lowered, and the dielectric constant (ε_r) did not remarkably change by adding yttria. The microwave dielectric loss (tan δ) increased from 8.4 × 10^− 5 to 2.2 × 10^− 4, due to the presence of Al₅Y₃O₁₂ secondary phase. The grain size had significant effects on the dielectric loss, and there was an optimum grain size where the dielectric loss reached the minimum.     

Enhanced piezoelectric and mechanical properties of ZnO whiskers and Sb2O3 co-modified lead zirconate titanate composites

ZnO whiskers and Sb₂O₃ co-modified lead zirconate titanate (denoted as PZT/ZnO_w/Sb₂O₃) piezoelectric composites were fabricated using a solid state sintering technique. The characteristic diffraction peaks of the PZT perovskite and ZnO phases were identified from all the composites, suggesting the retention of these individual phases. The grain size of PZT was found to be reduced with Sb₂O₃ addition. A high relative density of 96.5%-99.1% was achieved in PZT co-doped with ZnO_w and Sb₂O₃. Both the piezoelectric and mechanical properties of the PZT/ZnO_w/Sb₂O₃ composites showed significant improvement over the monolithic PZT. The intrinsic effects of ZnO_w and Sb₂O₃ on the electrical and mechanical properties of the PZT/ZnO_w/Sb₂O₃ composites were discussed.     

Flame spray synthesis of Lu2O3 nanoparticles

We have used a Flame Spray Pyrolysis (FSP) technique to synthesize lutetium oxide (Lu₂O₃) nanoparticles from lutetium nitrate. Optical quality transparent ceramics were prepared via hot pressing of the Lu₂O₃ nanoparticles formed using the FSP technique. We present data demonstrating that the FSP system can be used to control the material phase of the nanoparticles by changing the O₂ dispersion gas flow rate. Different O₂ dispersion gas flow rates affect the particle residence time in the flame resulting in the formation of different nanoparticulate phases. Our work has led to the synthesis of a metastable phase of Lu₂O₃ which has never been reported using the FSP technique. Significantly, the presence of the metastable phase enables the ceramic powders to be hot pressed at lower temperatures resulting in smaller grain sizes, resulting in excellent optical quality Lu₂O₃ windows.     

Improvements in mechanical properties of TiB2 ceramics tool materials by the dispersion of Al2O3 particles

TiB₂–Al₂O₃ composites with Ni–Mo as sintering aid have been fabricated by a hot-press technique at a lower temperature of 1530 °C for 1 h, and the mechanical properties and microstructure were investigated. The microstructure consists of dispersed Al₂O₃ particles in a fine-grained TiB₂ matrix. The addition of Al₂O₃ increases the fracture toughness up to 6.02 MPa m^1/2 at an amount of 40 vol.% Al₂O₃ and the flexural strength up to 913.86 MPa at an amount of 10 vol.% Al₂O₃. The improved flexural strength of the composites is a result of higher density than that of monolithic TiB₂. The increase of fracture toughness is a result of crack bridging by the metal grains on the boundaries, and crack deflection by weak grain boundaries due to the bad wetting characters between Ni–Mo and Al₂O₃.     

Fabrication of ZrO2-Al2O3 hybrid nano-porous layers through micro arc oxidation process

Zirconia-alumina layers, with a pores size of 40-300 nm, were fabricated via micro arc oxidation method for the first time. The layers were grown under alternative current in the electrolytes of ZrOCl₂ salt. They consisted of α-Al₂O₃, γ-Al₂O₃, monoclinic ZrO₂, tetragonal ZrO₂. Increasing the voltage resulted in higher zirconium concentrations in the layers. A porous structure was obtained when the layers were grown under intermediate voltages. Microcracks were observed to appear when the applied voltage increased. Finally, a formation mechanism was proposed with emphasis on the chemical and the electrochemical foundations.     

Refinement of microstructure and improvement of mechanical properties of Al/Al2O3 cast composite by accumulative roll bonding process

Some important problems associated with cast metal matrix composites (MMCs) include non-uniformity of the reinforcement particles, high porosity content, and weak bonding between reinforcement and matrix, which collectively result in low mechanical properties. Accumulative roll bonding (ARB) process was used in this study as a very effective method for refinement of microstructure and improvement of mechanical properties of the cast Al/10 vol.% Al₂O₃ composite. The average particle size of the Al₂O₃ was 3 μm. The results revealed that the microstructure of the composite after eleven cycles of the ARB had an excellent distribution of alumina particles in the aluminum matrix without any noticeable porosity. The results also indicated that the tensile strength and elongation of the composites increased as the number of ARB cycles increased. After eleven ARB cycles tensile strength and elongation values reached 158.1 MPa and 7.8%, which were 2.54 and 2.36 times greater than those of the as-cast MMC, respectively.     

Formation mechanism of in situ Al3Ti in Al matrix during hot pressing and subsequent friction stir processing

In situ Al₃Ti/Al composites were fabricated by a combination of vacuum hot pressing (VHP) and friction stir processing (FSP). The formation mechanism of the Al₃Ti and the effect of VHP and FSP parameters on the resultant microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The Al₃Ti formed due to the reactive diffusion between Al and Ti during VHP, and the number of Al₃Ti particles increased with increasing the temperature and holding time of the VHP. FSP not only induced the Al–Ti reaction, but also resulted in significant refining of the Al₃Ti, thereby creating a homogeneous distribution of Al₃Ti particles in the Al matrix. These microstructural changes led to significant improvement in the tensile properties of the in situ Al₃Ti/Al composite. However, the change trends of the tensile properties of the FSP samples were dependent on the extent of the Al–Ti reaction during VHP.     

A comparison of composite metal foam's properties and other comparable metal foams

New closed cell composite metal foams are processed using casting and powder metallurgy (PM) techniques. The foam is comprised of steel hollow spheres packed into a random loose arrangement, with the interstitial spaces between spheres occupied with a solid metallic matrix. The characterization of composite metal foams was carried out using monotonic compression, compression-compression fatigue, loading-unloading compression, micro-hardness and nano-hardness testing. The microstructure of the composite metal foams was studied using optical, scanning electron microscopy imaging and electron dispersive spectroscopy. The composite metal foams displayed superior (5-20 times higher) compressive strengths, reported as 105 MPa for cast foams and 127 MPa for PM foams, and much higher energy absorbing capability as compared to other metal foams being produced with similar materials through other technologies.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of pulsed electric current sintered B4C-TiB2 composites

Monolithic B₄C, TiB₂ and B₄C-TiB₂ particulate composites were consolidated without sintering additives by means of pulsed electric current sintering in vacuum. Sintering studies on B₄C-TiB₂ composites were carried out to reveal the influence of the pressure loading cycle during pulsed electrical current sintering (PECS) on the removal of oxide impurities, i.e. boron oxide and titanium oxide, hereby influencing the densification behavior as well as microstructure evolvement. The critical temperature to evaporate the boron oxide impurities was determined to be 2000 °C. Fully dense B₄C-TiB₂ composites were achieved by PECS for 4 min at 2000 °C when applying the maximum external pressure of 60 MPa after volatilization of the oxide impurities, whereas a relative density of 95-97% was obtained when applying the external pressure below 2000 °C. Microstructural analysis showed that B₄C and TiB₂ grain growth was substantially suppressed due to the pinning effect of the secondary phase and the rapid sintering cycle, resulting in micrometer sized and homogeneous microstructures. Excellent properties were obtained for the 60 vol% TiB₂ composite, combining a Vickers hardness of 29 GPa, a fracture toughness of 4.5 MPa m^1/2 and a flexural strength of 867 MPa, as well as electrical conductivity of 3.39E+6 S/m.     

Conductive polyaniline capped Fe2O3 composite anode for high rate lithium ion batteries

A composite of Fe₂O₃ capped by conductive polyaniline (PANI) was synthesized by a facile two-step method through combining homogeneous Fe₂O₃ suspension prepared by a hydrothermal method and in-situ polymerization of aniline. As anode material for lithium ion batteries, the Fe₂O₃/PANI composite manifests very large discharge capacities of 1635 mAh g⁻¹, 1480 mAh g⁻¹ at large currents of 1.0 and 2.0 A g⁻¹ (1C and 2C), respectively, as well as good cycling performance and rate capacity. The enhancement of electrochemical performance is attributed to the improved electrical conductivity and effective ion transportation of the composite electrode, in that, PANI keeps the Fe₂O₃ nanorods uniformly connected and offers conductive contact between the electrolyte and the active electrode materials.     

On structure and mechanical properties of ultrasonically cast Al-2% Al2O3 nanocomposite

An investigation on the structure of an ultrasonically cast nanocomposite of Al with 2 wt.% nano-sized Al₂O₃ (average size ∼10 nm) dispersoids showed that the nanocomposite was consisting of nearly continuous nano-alumina dispersed zones (NDZs) in the vicinity of the grain boundaries encapsulating Al₂O₃ depleted zones (ADZs). The mechanical properties were investigated by nanoindentation and tensile tests. The nano-sized dispersoids caused a marginal increase in the elastic modulus, and a significant increase in the hardness (∼92%), and tensile strength (∼48%). Subsequent cold rolling to achieve a reduction ratio of 2 resulted in an appreciable increase in the hardness due to change in morphology of the microstructure. Estimation of the strength on the basis of inter-particle spacing, which was measured by transmission electron microscopy, could not be accounted for on the basis of Orowan mechanism, and therefore, strengthening mechanisms like local climb and/or cross slip might have a role in this room temperature (0.32T_M) deformation process.