Microstructure and Thermal Conductivity of Al–Graphene Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy and Hot Rolling Techniques

The objective of this research is to improve the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of Al/GNPs(graphene nanoplatelets) nanocomposites produced by classical powder metallurgy and hot rolling techniques. The microstructural evaluation confirmed the uniform dispersion of GNPs at low content and agglomeration at higher contents of GNPs. The structure of graphene was studied before and after the mixing and the Raman spectrum proofs that the wet mixing has a great potential to be used as a dispersion method. There was no significant peak corresponding to the Al_4C_3 formation in both the differential scanning calorimetry curves and X-ray diffraction patterns. The microstructural observation in both fabrication techniques showed grain refinement as a function of the GNPs content. Moreover, the introduction of the GNPs not only improved the Vickers hardness of the composites but also decreased their density. The thermal conductivity investigations showed that in both the press-sintered and hot-rolled samples, although the thermal conductivity of composites was improved at low GNPs contents, it was negatively affected at high GNPs contents.     

Effect of Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Wear Properties of Al–Zn–Mg–Cu/In-Situ Al–9Si–SiCp/Pure Al Composite by Powder Metallurgy

This study examined the effects of heat treatment on the microstructure and wear properties of Al–Zn–Mg–Cu/in-situ Al–9Si–SiCp/pure Al composites. Pure Al powder was used to increase densification but it resulted in heterogeneous precipitation as well as differences in hardness among the grains. Heat treatment was conducted to solve this problem. The heat treatment process consisted of three stages: solution treatment, quenching, and aging treatment. After the solution treatment, the main dissolved phases were η′(Mg₄Zn₇), η(MgZn₂), and Al₂Cu phase. An aging treatment was conducted over the temperature range, 100–240 °C, for various times. The GP zone and η′(Mg₄Zn₇) phase precipitated at a low aging temperature of 100–160 °C, whereas the η(MgZn₂) phase precipitated at a high aging temperature of 200–240 °C. The hardness of the sample aged at 100–160 °C was higher than that aged at 200–240 °C. The wear test was conducted under various linear speeds with a load of 100 N. The aged composite showed a lower wear rate than that of the as-sintered composite under all conditions. As the linear speed was increased to 1.0 m/s, the predominant wear behavior changed from abrasive to adhesive wear in all composites.     

Modeling of the Prediction of Densification Behavior of Powder Metallurgy Al–Cu–Mg/B_4C Composites Using Artificial Neural Networks

Al–Cu–Mg/B4 Cp metal matrix composites with reinforcement of up to 20 wt% were produced using the powder metallurgy technique. The effects of reinforcement ratio, reinforcement size, milling time, and compact pressure on the density and porosity of the composites reinforced with 0, 5, 10, and 20 wt% B4 C particles were studied. Moreover, an artificial neural network model has been developed for the prediction of the effects of the manufacturing parameters on the density and porosity of powder metallurgy Al–Cu–Mg/B4 Cp composites. This model can be used for predicting the densification behavior of Al–Cu–Mg/B4 Cp composites produced under reinforcement of different sizes and amounts with various milling times and compact pressures. The mean absolute percentage error for the predicted values did not exceed1.6%.     

Thermal Stability and Electrochemical Properties of Ti–Al–Mo–Ni–N Coatings Fabricated by Arc-PVD

Protection of Metals and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces - The electrochemical properties of Ti–Al–Mo–Ni–N coatings with a molybdenum content of 20 and 25 at % fabricated by...     

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Mg–7.4% Al Alloy Matrix Composites Reinforced by Nanocrystalline Al–Ca Intermetallic Particles

Mg–7.6% Al(in mass fraction) alloy matrix composites reinforced with different volume fractions of nanocrystalline Al3Ca8 particles were synthesized by powder metallurgy,and the effect of the volume fraction of reinforcement on the mechanical properties was studied.Room temperature compression test reveals considerable improvement on mechanical properties as compared to unreinforced matrix.The compressive strength increases from 683 MPa for unreinforced alloy matrix to about 767 and 823 MPa for the samples having 20 and 40 vol% of reinforcement,respectively,while retaining appreciable plastic deformation ranging between 12 and 24%.The specific strength of the composites increased significantly,demonstrating the effectiveness of the low-density Al3Ca8 reinforcement.     

Microstructures and Tensile Properties of Ultrafine-Grained Ni–(1–3.5) wt% SiC_(NP) Composites Prepared by a Powder Metallurgy Route

Silicon carbide nanoparticle-reinforced nickel-based composites(Ni–Si CNP),with a Si CNPcontent ranged from1 to 3.5 wt%,were prepared using mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering.In addition,unreinforced pure nickel samples were also prepared for comparative purposes.To characterize the microstructural properties of both the unreinforced pure nickel and the Ni–Si CNPcomposites transmission electron microscopy(TEM) was used,while their mechanical behavior was investigated using the Vickers pyramid method for hardness measurements and a universal tensile testing machine for tensile tests.TEM results showed an array of dislocation lines decorated in the sintered pure nickel sample,whereas,for the Ni–Si CNPcomposites,the presence of nano-dispersed Si CNPand twinning crystals was observed.These homogeneously distributed Si CNPwere found located either within the matrix,between twins or on grain boundaries.For the Ni–Si CNPcomposites,coerced coarsening of the Si CNPassembly occurred with increasing Si CNPcontent.Furthermore,the grain sizes of the Ni–Si CNPcomposites were much finer than that of the unreinforced pure nickel,which was considered to be due to the composite ball milling process.In all cases,the Ni–Si CNPcomposites showed higher strengths and hardness values than the unreinforced pure nickel,likely due to a combination of dispersion strengthening(Orowan effects) and particle strengthening(Hall–Petch effects).For the Ni–Si CNPcomposites,the strength increased initially and then decreased as a function of Si CNPcontent,whereas their elongation percentages decreased linearly.Compared to all materials tested,the Ni–Si CNPcomposite containing 1.5% Si C was found more superior considering both their strength and plastic properties.     

Assessment of the SiC＿p Distribution Uniformity in SiC＿p／Al Composites Made by Powder Metallurgy

ＡｓｓｅｓｓｍｅｎｔｏｆｔｈｅＳｉＣ＿ｐＤｉｓｔｒｉｂｕｔｉｏｎＵｎｉｆｏｒｍｉｔｙｉｎＳｉＣ＿ｐ／ＡｌＣｏｍｐｏｓｉｔｅｓＭａｄｅｂｙＰｏｗｄｅｒＭｅｔａｌｌｕｒｇｙＦａｎＪｉａｎｚｈｏｎｇ；ＹａｏＺｈｏｎｇｋａｉ（樊建中）（姚忠凯）（Ｈａｒｂｉｎ...     

Thermal properties of pressureless melt infiltrated AlN–Si–Al composites

Thermal properties of AlN-Si-Al composites produced by pressureless melt infiltration of Al/Al alloys into porous α-Si₃N₄ preforms were investigated in a temperature range of 50-300 °C. SEM and TEM investigations revealed that the grain size of AlN particles was less than 1 μm. In spite of sub-micron grain size, composites showed relatively high thermal conductivity (TC), 55-107 W/(m.K). The thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of the composite produced with commercial Al source, which has the highest TC of 107 W/(m.K), was 6.5×10^?6 K^?1. Despite the high CTE of Al (23.6×10^?6 K^?1), composites revealed significantly low CTE through the formation of Si and AlN phases during the infiltration process.     

Copper-Coated Graphene Nanoplatelets-Reinforced Al–Si Alloy Matrix Composites Fabricated by Stir Casting Method

In this study,Cu nanoparticles-coated graphene nanoplatelets(Cu-NPs@GNPs) were synthesized by a simple in situ method with the assistance of Na Cl templates and used for reinforcing Al–10 Si composites through stir casting process.The experimental results showed that the coating of Cu-NPs on the GNPs could compromise the density mismatch between GNPs and metal matrix and eff ectively hinder the float of GNPs during stirring.The reaction of Cu-NPs and Al matrix could protect the structural integrity of GNPs as well as improve the interfacial wettability between GNPs and the matrix,thus promoting the uniform dispersion of GNPs in the composites.As a result,the as-prepared 0.5 wt% Cu-NPs@GNPs/Al–10 Si composite exhibited a tensile strength of 251 MPa(45% higher than the Al–10 Si) with a total elongation of 15%.The strengthening eff ects were mainly attributed to the following three reasons:Firstly,the Cu-NPs coating improved the interfacial bonding between GNPs and Al matrix which promoted the load transfer from the matrix to the GNPs.Secondly,the nanoscale Al 2 Cu formed by the reaction of Cu-NPs and Al matrix played a role in precipitation strengthening.Thirdly,GNPs refined the silicon phases and improved the monolithic performances of the composites.     

Characterizations on Mechanical Properties and In Vitro Bioactivity of Biomedical Ti–Nb–Zr–CPP Composites Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering

To alleviate the bio-inert of Ti alloys as hard tissue implants, Ti–35Nb–7Zr–xCPP(calcium pyrophosphate,x = 5, 10, 15, 20 wt%) composites were prepared by mechanical alloying(MA) and following spark plasma sintering(SPS). Mechanical behaviours and in vitro bioactivity of these composites were investigated systematically. Results showed that the composites consisted of β-Ti matrix, α-Ti, and metal–ceramic phases such as CaO, CaTiO_3, CaZrO_3, and Ti_xP_y. With increasing CPP content, the composites had higher strength(over 1500 MPa) and higher elastic modulus, but suffered almost zero plastic deformation together with lower relative density. When the CPP contents were 5 and 10 wt%,the compressive elastic moduli were 44 and 48 GPa, respectively, which were close to those of natural bones. However, the compressive elastic modulus of the composites increased significantly when CPP contents exceed 10 wt%, thus deteriorating the mechanical compatibility of the composites owing to more α-Ti and metal–ceramic phases. Besides, the surface of Ti–35Nb–7Zr–10CPP composite was deposited as a homogeneous apatite layer during soaking in simulated body fluid(SBF). It indicates a good bioactivity between the implant materials and living bones.     

Microstructure and Lattice Parameters of AlN Particle-Reinforced Magnesium Matrix Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy

Magnesium matrix composites reinforced with AlN particles were fabricated by the powder metallurgy technique. The evolution of lattice constants and solid solubility levels of Al in α-Mg and the microstructure of Mg-Al/AlN composites were investigated in the present study. The results showed that the solid solubility of Al in α-Mg reached a relatively high level by the P/M process with a long time of milling. X-ray diffraction showed that the peaks of Mg phase clearly shifted to higher angles. The lattice constants and cell volume decreased significantly compared with those of standard Mg due to a significant amount of Al incorporated into α-Mg in the form of substitutional solid solution. The degree of lattice deformation decreased at a low sintering temperature and increased at higher sintering temperatures due to the presence of AlN. Microstructural characterization of the composites revealed a necklace distribution of AlN particles in the Mg matrix. Heat treatment led to precipitation of Mg₁₇Al₁₂ from the supersaturated α-Mg solid solution. The precipitate exhibited granular and lath-shaped morphologies in Mg matrix and flocculent precipitation around AlN particles.     

Characterization and Tribological Properties of Graphene/Copper Composites Fabricated by Electroless Plating and Powder Metallurgy

Self-lubricating copper matrix composites reinforced with graphene were prepared by electroless plating and powder metallurgy.The morphology and structure of graphene,Cu@graphene powder,and Cu@graphene/Cu composites were characterized and the tribological properties of Cu@graphene/Cu composites were investigated.The X-ray diffraction pattern of Cu@graphene confirms the coexistence of characteristic peaks of both copper and graphene,with a weakened characteristic peak of carbon impurity.The obtained morphology of Cu@graphene reveals that the surface of the graphene is completely covered with a uniform and compact copper layer with lots of copper nanoparticles.Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses show that the oxygen functional groups and defects on the surface of the redox graphene can be reduced through the electroless plating process.The tribological results indicate that the coefficient of friction of Cu@graphene/Cu composites initially decreases and then increases with an increase in Cu@graphene content.The lowest coefficient of friction,which is about 29.47% lower than that of pure Cu,is achieved in the Cu@graphene/Cu composites with 3.0 wt%Cu@graphene.The chemical composition and topography of the wear tracks for Cu@graphene/Cu composites infer that the formation of a well-consolidated graphene-rich lubricious tribolayer at the contact surface and a higher microhardness work together to enhance the tribological performance of Cu@graphene/Cu composites.     

Thermal Conductivity and Tensile Properties of Carbon Nanofiber-Reinforced Aluminum-Matrix Composites Fabricated via Powder Metallurgy: Effects of Ball Milling and Extrusion Conditions on Microstructures and Resultant Composite Properties

Carbon nanofiber(CNF)-reinforced aluminum-matrix composites were fabricated via ball milling and spark plasma sintering(SPS), SPS followed by hot extrusion and powder extrusion. Two mixing conditions of CNF and aluminum powder were adopted: milling at 90 rpm and milling at 200 rpm. After milling at 90 rpm, the mixed powder was sintered using SPS at 560 °C. The composite was then extruded at 500 °C at an extrusion ratio of 9. Composites were also fabricated via powder extrusion of powder milled at 200 rpm and 550 °C with an extrusion ratio of 9(R9) or 16(R16). The thermal conductivity and tensile properties of the resultant composites were evaluated. Anisotropic thermal conductivity was observed even in the sintered products. The anisotropy could be controlled via hot extrusion. The thermal conductivity of composites fabricated via powder extrusion was higher than those fabricated using other methods. However, in the case of specimens with a CNF volume fraction of 4.0%, the thermal conductivity of the composite fabricated via SPS and hot extrusion was the highest. The highest thermal conductivity of 4.0% CNF-reinforced composite is attributable to networking and percolation of CNFs. The effect of the fabrication route on the tensile strength and ductility was also investigated. Tensile strengths of the R9 composites were the highest. By contrast, the R16 composites prepared under long heating duration exhibited high ductility at CNF volume fractions of 2.0% and 5.0%. The microstructures of composites and fracture surfaces were observed in detail, and fracture process was elucidated. The results revealed that controlling the heating and plastic deformation during extrusion will yield strong and ductile composites.     

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of CNT-Reinforced AZ91D Composites Fabricated by Ultrasonic Processing

Carbon nanotube(CNT)-reinforced AZ91 D alloy composite was fabricated by ultrasonic processing.The microstructure and mechanical properties of the CNTs/AZ91 D composites were investigated.Obvious grain refinement was achieved with the addition of 0.5 wt%CNTs.The SEM observation indicated that CNTs were distributed near the grain boundary or around the inter-grain β-Mg_(17)Al_(12) phase.No evident reaction product was found at the interface between CNTs and AZ91 D matrix.Compared to the monolithic AZ91 D alloy,the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength,and elongation of the 0.5 wt%CNTs/AZ91 D composite were improved significantly.However,the poor interface bonding between CNTs and AZ91 D matrix restricted further improvement in mechanical properties.     

微波烧结镀铜TiB_2增强铜基复合材料的膨胀性能

应用化学镀铜方法对TiB2颗粒进行表面镀铜,采用微波烧结技术制备了含TiB2体积分数不同的TiB2/Cu复合材料,测试了试样在50~300℃区间的膨胀系数,探讨了TiB2含量及其表面改性对TiB2/Cu复合材料热膨胀系数的影响。结果表明:随着TiB2含量的增加,复合材料的膨胀系数降低;TiB2颗粒表面镀铜后,在TiB2相同含量条件下,TiB2/Cu复合材料的膨胀系数进一步降低;理论模型计算结果表明,TiB2未镀铜的TiB2/Cu复合材料的膨胀系数与ROM模型计算值相符合,而TiB2镀铜的TiB2/Cu复合材料的膨胀系数与Kerner模型计算值相符合,反映了TiB2颗粒镀铜后能很好地改善颗粒与基体的结合。     

粉末冶金法制备MB15镁基复合材料组织及性能的研究

采用粉末冶金法制备了 Si C颗粒及晶须增强 MB15镁基复合材料的试样 ,借助扫描电镜对其显微结构及拉伸断口进行了观察和分析。同时 ,比较了 Si C颗粒和晶须对 MB15镁合金室温力学性能的影响。结果表明 ,Si C颗粒和晶须能显著提高 MB15镁合金的室温强度和弹性模量 ,且 Si C晶须的作用比 Si C颗粒更明显     

高能球磨结合粉末冶金法制备碳纳米管增强7055Al复合材料的微观组织和力学性能

采用高能球磨结合粉末冶金工艺制备了碳纳米管(CNT)含量(体积分数)分别为0、1%和3%的CNT/7055Al复合材料。采用OM、SEM、TEM以及拉伸实验等方法研究了CNT/7055Al复合材料的CNT分布、晶粒结构、近界面结构及力学性能,分析了复合材料的强化机制和各向异性。结果表明,CNT/7055Al复合材料为无CNT的粗晶区与富集CNT的超细晶区组成的双模态晶粒结构;CNT在Al基体的超细晶区中分散良好,CNT-Al界面干净清洁,界面反应产物少;3%CNT/7055Al复合材料沿挤压方向的抗拉强度达到816 MPa,但延伸率仅为0.5%。细晶强化和Orowan强化是CNT/7055Al复合材料主要的强化机制。由于CNT沿不同方向的增强效率不同以及粗晶条带组织的存在,复合材料表现出比基体合金更强烈的各向异性,在垂直挤压方向的拉伸性能要弱于沿挤压方向的拉伸性能。     

粉末冶金法制备Cu/Al2O3复合材料及其性能研究

以纳米Al2O3为增强相,用粉末冶金法制备了铜基复合材料.研究了表面活性剂、Al2O3的比例、混粉方式对复合材料硬度、耐磨性和电导率的影响.结果表明,先用表面活性剂将纳米Al2O3制成单分散悬浮液再与铜粉湿磨混合,可有效改善弥散相的分布,其中Al2O3量以2%为最佳.最佳工艺制得的Cu基复合材料电导率为81%IACS,硬度达到98 HV0.1,相对纯铜而言,平均磨损体积下降46%,呈现出良好的高导高耐磨性.     

粉末冶金制备非连续增强MB15镁基复合材料时效行为的研究

研究了SiC颗粒和钛合金(TC4)颗粒对MB15镁合金145C时效硬化行为的影响以及SiCp／MB15和TC4p／MB15复合材料的室温拉伸性能随时效时间的变化规律。结果表明，增强颗粒的加入加速了MB15的时效速度，但并未改变其时效硬化的基本规律：MB15及其复合材料的时效硬化曲线上均存在双峰现象；两种复合材料抗拉强度和屈服强度的峰值与其较高的硬度峰值基本对应。     

利用搅拌铸造结合超声处理法制备镁基复合材料

在目前的研究中,利用搅拌铸造结合超声处理方法成功地制备出了不同体积分数(5vol%和10vol%)的微米颗粒增强的AZ31B镁基复合材料。利用350℃,12:1的挤压比对铸锭进行了挤压处理。利用金相和扫描电子显微镜对复合材料的微观结构进行了研究。复合材料的微观结构显示,增强体具有相对均匀的分布且晶粒获得了显著的细化。微米碳化硅颗粒的存在可以显著的提高基体合金的显微硬度﹑弹性模量以及抗拉伸强度。此外,复合材料的显微硬度﹑弹性模量以及抗拉伸强度随着微米颗粒含量的增加而增加。