Interfacial reaction in ASZ/A384 Al composite and its influence on mechanical properties

In an ASZ/A384 Al composite, the interfacial reaction was observed to take place between the SiO₂ binder layer and Mg within the matrix to form MgAl₂O₄ at the interface. Formation of MgAl₂O₄ at the interface between ASZ short fibers and the Al matrix alloy is believed to enhance the interfacial bonding strength, resulting in improved composite strength. However, the interfacial reaction in the ASZ/A384 Al proceeds at the expense of Mg in the matrix, resulting in a composite devoid of Mg bearing precipitates such as Al₂CuMg and Mg₂Si.     

Microstructure and Strength of Al2O3 and Carbon Fiber Reinforced 2024 Aluminum Alloy Composites

The microstructure and mechanical properties of 2024 aluminum alloy composite materials strengthened with Al₂O₃ Saffil fibers or together with addition of carbon fibers were investigated. The fibers were stabilized in the preform with silica binder strengthened by further heat treatment. The preforms with 80-90% porosity were infiltrated by direct squeeze casting method. The microstructure of the as-cast specimens consisted mainly of α-dendrites with intermetallic compounds precipitated at their boundaries. The homogenization treatment of the composite materials substituted silica binder with a mixture of the Θ phase and silicon precipitates distributed in the remnants of SiO₂ amorphous phase. Outside of this area at the binder/matrix interface, fine MgO precipitates were also present. At surface of C fibers, a small amount of fine Al₃C₄ carbides were formed. During pressure infiltration of preforms containing carbon fibers under oxygen carrying atmosphere, C fibers can burn releasing gasses and causing cracks initiated by thermal stress. The examination of tensile and bending strength showed that reinforcing of aluminum matrix with 10-20% fibers improved investigated properties in the entire temperature range. The largest increase in relation to unreinforced alloy was observed for composite materials examined at the temperature of 300 °C. Substituting Al₂O₃ Saffil fibers with carbon fibers leads to better wear resistance at dry condition with no relevant effect on strength properties.     

Welding of AA6061-(Al2O3 )p composite: effect of weld process variables and post-welding heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties

Abstract

Metal–matrix composites reinforced with Al₂O₃ particles combine the properties of the matrix (ductility and toughness) with the ceramic properties of the reinforcements (high strength). However, their wide application as structural materials requires a proper development of their joint process. The present work describes the results obtained from microstructural (optical and scanning electron microscopy) and mechanical evaluation (hardness and tensile tests) of the welded aluminium–matrix composite (AA6061) reinforced with 10% and 20% volume fraction Al₂O₃ particles (W6A10 and W6A20, respectively) using the MIG (metal inert gas) welding process and ER5356 (AlMg5) as filler material. A characteristic of the welds carried out in composites is that the size of the melt pool is wider than in the unreinforced materials, for the same welding conditions. This is caused by the lower thermal conductivity of the composites. Furthermore, composites act as an insulator reducing the cooling rate of the bath. The thermal effect of welding on different types of joints results in a loss of the mechanical properties in the heat affected zones (HAZ). These properties can be recovered with post-welding heat treatment.     

Effect of limited matrix–reinforcement interfacial reaction on enhancing the mechanical properties of aluminium–silicon carbide composites

An unconventional approach to strengthening Al/SiC composites through controlled matrix–reinforcement interfacial reactions was studied. Composites with two distinct interfacial microstructures were prepared by varying the contact time between the SiC particles and molten aluminium during processing. The formation of a thin Al₄C₃ reaction layer along the particle–matrix interface was found to increase the composite yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, work-hardening rate and work-to-fracture, and change the fracture pattern from one involving interfacial decohesion to one where particle breakage was dominant. These changes were attributed to a stronger interface bond, which is thought to result from the tendency for the Al₄C₃ reaction layer to form semicoherent interfaces and orientation relationships with the aluminium matrix and SiC particles and for it to be mechanically “keyed-in” to both these phases. The stronger interface bond also enhanced the levels of plastic constraint which, when coupled with the greater work hardening, promoted local matrix failure, thereby reducing the composite ductility.     

The influence of ceramic particles on bond strength of cold spray composite coatings on AZ91 alloy substrate

Al-Al₂O₃ composite coatings were produced on AZ91D magnesium alloy substrates using kinetic metallization (KM), which is a special type of cold spray using a convergent barrel nozzle to attain sonic velocity. The effect of the volume fraction of Al₂O₃ particles and KM spray temperatures on the microstructure, hardness of the composite coatings, the deposition efficiency, and the bond strength between the coating and substrate was studied. Results show that addition of Al₂O₃ particles not only significantly improves the density of the coating, but also enhances the deposition efficiency to an optimum value. The bond strength of the composite coatings with the substrate was found to be much stronger than the coating itself, measured using a specially designed lug shear method. Furthermore, based on bond strength data and SEM analysis, higher Al₂O₃ content resulted in a failure mode transition from adhesive failure to cohesive failure. This is considered a result of a competition between the strengthening of the ceramic reinforcing particles at the coating/substrate interface, and the weakening of coating cohesive strength due to an increase in the proportion of weaker Al-Al₂O₃ bonds compared with stronger Al-Al bonds. Characterisation of the composite coating in terms of hardness, porosity and microstructure was also conducted.     

Hierarchical magnesium nano-composites for enhanced mechanical response

In this work we have synthesized and investigated the mechanical performance of a hierarchical magnesium (Mg) nano-composite with a novel micro-architecture including a reinforcing constituent that is a composite in itself. Specifically, we developed a nano-composite (alternatively referred to as a level II composite) with monolithic Mg as the matrix, reinforced by another level I composite comprising a sub-micron pure aluminum (Al) matrix in which are embedded nano-alumina (n-Al₂O₃) particles. The level II composite was obtained by adding a small volume fraction (vf) of the ball-milled level I composite to Mg using the powder metallurgy route followed by microwave-assisted rapid sintering and hot extrusion. Compared with the monolithic pure Mg, the hierarchical composites exhibited significant simultaneous enhancement of strengthening, hardening and failure strain, and also non-monotonic mechanical performance as a function of level I vf. Among the different hierarchical formulations synthesized, the hierarchical level I composition with 0.972% Al and 0.66% Al₂O₃ by volume (Mg/0.972 Al–0.66 Al₂O₃) exhibited the best overall mechanical properties compared with monolithic Mg, with an improvement of 96% in the 0.2% yield strength, 80% in the ultimate tensile strength, 42% in failure strain and 147% in the work of fracture. We identified and quantified some of the strengthening mechanisms that may be responsible for the impressive performance of this hierarchical nano-composite.     

Improvement of high-temperature strength of 6061 Al matrix composite reinforced by dual-phased nano-AlN and submicron-Al2O3 particles

Nano-AlN and submicron-Al₂O₃ particles were simultaneously utilized in a 6061 Al matrix composite to improve the high-temperature strength. According to the SEM and TEM characterization, nano-AlN and submicron- Al₂O₃ particles are uniformly distributed in the Al matrix. Brinell hardness results indicate that different from the traditional 6061 Al matrix alloy, the aging kinetics of the composite is obviously accelerated by the reinforcement particles. The T6-treated composite exhibits excellent tensile properties at both room temperature and elevated temperature. Especially at 350 °C, the T6-treated composite not only has a high yield strength of 121 MPa and ultimate tensile strength of 128 MPa, but also exhibits a large elongation of 11.6%. Different strengthening mechanisms of nano-AlN and submicron-Al₂O₃ particles were also discussed in detail.     

Micro-yield behaviors of Al2O3-SiO2（sf）/Al-Si metal matrix composites

Effects of the volume fraction and the size of crystallized alumina silicate short fibers as well as heat treatment processes on micro-yield strength（MYS） of Al2O3-SiO2（sf）/Al-Si metal matrix composite（MMC） that was fabricated by squeezing cast, were investigated by using continuous loading method on an Instron 5569 tester with a special extensometer with an accuracy of 10^-7. The results show that MYS of MMC decreases with the increase of volume fraction and length of the alumina silicate short fibers in the metal matrix composite, respectively. MYS of quenched Al2O3-SiO2（sf）/Al -Si MMC is the lowest, MYS of the MMC through peak-aging treatment is higher than that through other heat treatment methods. And before the peak-aging, MYS of MMC aging treated gradually increases with the increase of the aging time. Aging treatment after solution treatment is a preferred way that enhances micro and macro-yield strength of Al2O3-SiO2（sf）/Al-Si MMC.     

Characterizations of cold-sprayed Nickel-Alumina composite coating with relatively large Nickel-coated Alumina powder

Previous studies have shown that the fabrication of metal matrix composites (MMCs) by cold spraying is effective and promising. When light materials, such as SiC and Al₂O₃, were used as reinforcements, it was diffcuclt to obtain a high volume fraction of hard phase in the composite just through the simple powder mixture. Therefore, in this study, a Ni-coated Al₂O₃ powder, which was produced through hydrothermal hydrogen reduction method, was employed aiming at increasing the volume fraction of ceramic particles in the deposited composite coating. It was found that a dense Ni-Al₂O₃ composite coating could be deposited with the Ni-coated Al₂O₃ powder under the present spray conditions. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the composite coating had the same phase structures as the feedstock. The volume fraction of Al₂O₃ in the composite was about 29 ± 6 vol.%, which is less than that in the feedstock (nominal: 40-45 vol.%) due to the rebound of some Al₂O₃ particulates upon kinetic impacting. The microhardness of the composite coating was about 173 ± 33Hv_0.2.     

Effect of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> particles on the microstructure and sliding wear of 7075 Al alloy manufactured by squeeze casting method

Aluminum (Al) alloy 7075 reinforced with Al₂O₃ particles was prepared using the stir casting method. The microstructure of the cast composites showed some degree of porosity and sites of Al₂O₃ particle clustering, especially at high-volume fractions of Al₂O₃ particles. Different squeeze pressures (25 and 50 MPa) were applied to the cast composite during solidification to reduce porosity and particle clusters. Microstructure examinations of the squeeze cast composites showed remarkable grain refining compared with that of the matrix alloy. As the volume fraction of particles and applied squeeze pressure increased, the hardness linearly increased. This increase was related to the modified structure and the decrease in the porosity. The effect of particle volume fraction and squeeze pressure on the dry-sliding wear of the composites was studied. Experiments were performed at 10, 30, and 50 N with a sliding speed of 1 m/s using a pin-on-ring apparatus. Increasing the particle volume fraction and squeeze pressure improved the wear resistance of the composite compared with that of the monolithic alloy, because the Al₂O₃ particles acted as load-bearing constituents. Also, these results can be attributed to the fact that the application of squeeze pressure during solidification led to a reduction in the porosity, and an increase in the solidification rate, leading to a finer structure. Moreover, the application of squeeze pressure improved the interface strength between the matrix and Al₂O₃ particles by elimination of the porosity at the interface, thereby providing better mechanical locking.     

Formation of Al/(Al<Subscript>13</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>4</Subscript> + Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>) Nano-composites via Mechanical Alloying and Friction Stir Processing

Combination of mechanical alloying and friction stir processing was used for the fabrication of Al/(Al₁₃Fe₄ + Al₂O₃) nano-composites. Pre-milled hematite + Al powder mixture was introduced into the stir zone generated on 1050 aluminum alloy sheet by friction stir processing. Uniform and active milled powder mixture reacted with plasticized aluminum to produced Al₁₃Fe₄ + Al₂O₃ particles. Al₁₃Fe₄ intermetallic showed elliptical shape with a typical size of ~ 100 nm, while nano-sized Al₂O₃ exhibited irregular floc-shaped particles that formed clusters with the remnant of iron oxide particles in the fine recrystallized aluminum matrix. As the milling time (1-3 h) of the introduced powder mixture increased, the volume fraction of Al₁₃Fe₄ + Al₂O₃ particles increased in the fabricated composite. The hardness and ultimate tensile strength of the fabricated nano-composites varied from 54.5 to 75 HV and 139 to 159 MPa, respectively; these are much higher than those of the friction stir processed base alloy (33 HV and 97 UTS). The highest hardness and strength were achieved for the nano-composite fabricated using the 3-h milled powder mixture; hard nano-sized reaction products and fine recrystallized grains of Al matrix had major and minor roles on enhancing these properties, respectively.     

Effect of deformation temperature on the mechanical behavior and deformation mechanisms of Al-Al2O3 metal matrix composites

Aluminum-alumina (Al-Al₂O₃) metal matrix composite (MMC) materials were fabricated using the powder metallurgy (PM) techniques of hot pressing followed by hot extrusion. Different reinforcement weight fractions were used, that is, 0, 2.5, 5, and 10 wt% Al₂O₃. The effect of deformation temperature was investigated through hot tensile deformation conducted at different temperatures. The microstructures of the tested specimens were also investigated to characterize the operative softening mechanisms. The yield and tensile strength of the Al-Al₂O₃ were found to improve as a function of reinforcement weight fraction. With the exception of Al-10wt%Al₂O₃, the MMC showed better strength and behavior at high temperatures than the unreinforced matrix. The uniform deformation range was found to decrease for the same reinforcement weight fraction, as a function of temperature. For the same deformation temperature, it increases as a function of reinforcement weight fraction. Both dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization were found to be operative in Al-Al₂O₃ MMC as a function of deformation temperature. Dynamic recovery is dominant in the lower temperature range, while dynamic recrystallization is more dominant at the higher range. The increase in reinforcement weight fraction was found to lead to early nucleation of recrystallization. No direct relationship was established as far as the number of grains nucleated due to each reinforcement particle.     

The effect of the microstructure on mechanical properties of directionally solidified Al2O3/ZrO2(Y2O3) eutectic

The eutectic architecture of a continuous reinforcing phase within a higher volume fraction phase or matrix, can be described as a naturally occurring in-situ composite. Here we report the results of experiments aimed at identifying the sources of high temperature creep resistance and high levels of strength in a two phase Al₂O₃/ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) system. The mechanical properties of two phase Al₂O₃/ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) eutectic are superior to that of either constituent alone due to strong constraining effects provided by the coherent interfaces and micrsostructure. The Al₂O₃/ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) eutectic maintains a low energy interface resulting from directional solidification and can produce strong and stable reinforcing phase/matrix bonding. The phases comprising a eutectic are thermodynamically compatible at higher homologous temperatures than man-made composites and as such offer the potential for superior high temperature properties.     

Tensile and wear properties of rolled Al5Mg-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> or C particulate composites

Al5Mg alloy matrix composites reinforced with different percentages of Al₂O₃ (60 μm) or C (90 μm) particulates were prepared by the vortex method. The composites were then subjected to hot or cold rolling with different reduction ratios. The microstructures of the rolled composites revealed that the matrix grains moved around the particulate causing deformation. By continuing deformation, the particulates rearranged themselves in the matrix, leading to lensoid distortion. It was found that the addition of Al₂O₃ or C particulates increased the 0.2% proof stress and reduced both the tensile strength and ductility, compared with the monolithic alloy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fractographic examinations showed that the composites reinforced with Al₂O₃ particulates failed through particulate fracture and matrix ligament rupture. However, the failure of the composites reinforced with C particulates was through particulate decohesion, followed by ductile failure of the matrix. Abrasive wear results showed that the wear rate of the Al5Mg alloy decreased with the addition of C particulates. However, increasing the volume fraction of C particulates did not have a prominent effect on the wear rate. The composites reinforced with Al₂O₃ particulates exhibited a higher wear rate than that of the unreinforced alloy. Furthermore, addition of both C and Al₂O₃ particulates into the Al5Mg matrix alloy did not significantly improve the wear resistance. For all composites studied in this work, hot or cold rolling had a marginal effect on the wear results.     

Influence of Superheat on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ductile Cu47.5Zr47.5Al5 Bulk Metallic Glass-Matrix Composite

Generally bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) posses very less ductility and toughness at room temperature. Over the recent past years to improve up on these properties in many alloy system BMG composites have been developed. It was also reported that Cu_47.5Zr_47.5Al₅ BMG composite shows a very high strength together with an extensive work hardening-like behavior of large ductility around 18%. In this study, the influence of superheat on microstructure and the resulting mechanical properties in Cu_47.5Zr_47.5Al₅ bulk metallic glass-matrix composite alloy has been studied. The Cu_47.5Zr_47.5Al₅ melt solidifies into a composite microstructure consisting of crystalline precipitates embedded in an amorphous matrix. The crystalline phase consists of B2 CuZr (cubic primitive with CsCl structure) with a small amount of monoclinic CuZr martensitic structure embedded in an amorphous matrix. The volume fraction of crystalline phases varies with melting current as well as position along the length of the as-cast rod, depending on the local cooling condition. The volume fraction and the distribution of the crystalline precipitates are heterogeneous in the amorphous matrix. Room temperature uniaxial compression tests revealed high yield strength ranging from 796 to 1900 MPa depending upon the volume fraction of the crystalline phases present. The presence of the dendritic B2 CuZr significantly improved the ductility. The BMG composites show a pronounced plastic strain up to 14% for the higher volume fraction of crystalline phase.     

Effect of applied current on the electrodeposited Ni-Al2O3 composite coatings

Nano-sized Al₂O₃ ceramic particles (50 nm) were co-deposited with nickel using electrodeposition technique to develop composite coatings. The coatings were produced in an aqueous nickel bath at different current densities and the research investigated the effect of applied current on microstructure and thickness of the coatings. The variation in some mechanical properties such as hardness, wear resistance, and the adhesive strength of the composite coatings is influenced by the applied current and this was also studied. The morphology of the coatings was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The hardness, wear resistance, and bond strength of the coatings were evaluated by Vickers micro-hardness test, pin-on-disc test, and tensile test, respectively. Results showed that the Al₂O₃ particles were uniformly distributed in the coatings, and the coatings deposited at a current density of 0.01 A/cm² was most favorable in achieving a maximum current efficiency which causes the co-deposition of a maximum amount of Al₂O₃ particles (4.3 wt.%) in the coatings. The increase in Al₂O₃ particles in the coatings increased the mechanical properties of the Ni-Al₂O₃ composite coatings by grain refining and dispersion strengthening mechanisms.     

Effect of the Al2O3 content on the mechanical properties and microstructure of 3Y-TZP ceramics for dental applications

Alumina-reinforced zirconia composites containing 0 to 30 vol% of alumina were fabricated by sintering at 1550 °C for 2 h in air. The effect of the Al₂O₃ content on the mechanical properties and microstructure of 3Y-TZP ceramics was investigated. Al₂O₃ acted as an inhibitor of the grain growth of 3Y-TZP. As the alumina content increased, the fracture mode changed gradually from the transgranular mode to the intergranular mode and the Young’s modulus and hardness increased. The biaxial flexural strength also showed a slight increase with an increase in Al₂O₃ content, due to the grain size refinement of the ZrO₂ matrix, while the fracture toughness, which was investigated by the SEVNB method, showed a contrary tendency. The decrement of the fracture toughness can be explained by the increase in the critical transformation stress, the decrease in the volume fraction of the transformable t-ZrO₂ and the increase in the tensile residual stress.     

The use of Al-Al2O3 cold spray coatings to improve the surface properties of magnesium alloys

Pure Al and 6061 aluminium alloy based Al₂O₃ particle-reinforced composite coatings were produced on AZ91E substrates using cold spray. The strength of the coating/substrate interface in tension was found to be stronger than the coating itself. The coatings have corrosion resistance similar to that of bulk pure aluminium in both salt spray and electrochemical tests. The wear resistance of the coatings is significantly better than that of the AZ91 Mg substrate, but the significant result is that the wear rate of the coatings is several decades lower than that of various bulk Al alloys tested for comparison. The effect of post-spray heat treatment, the volume fraction of Al₂O₃ within the coating and of the type of Al powder used in the coatings on the corrosion and wear resistance was also discussed.     

Effects of Boron Carbide Content on the Microstructure and Properties of Atmospheric Plasma-Sprayed NiCoCrAlY/Al2O3-B4C Composite Coatings

NiCoCrAlY/Al₂O₃ and NiCoCrAlY/B₄C composite powders were prepared with hydrogen reduction and solid state alloying process. NiCoCrAlY/Al₂O₃-B₄C composite coatings with different contents of B₄C were prepared by atmospheric plasma spray technology. The microstructures, mechanical properties, and tribological properties of the composite coatings with different B₄C contents were systematically investigated. The results show that the microhardness of the composite coatings increases, while the tensile strength of the composite coatings decreases, with the increase of B₄C contents. The wear volume of the composite coatings decreases from room temperature to 800 °C with the increase of B₄C contents. Abrasion wear is the main wear mechanism of the NiCoCrAlY/Al₂O₃-B₄C composite coating from room temperature to 800 °C.     

Mechanical behavior of Al-Al2O3 MMC manufactured by PM techniques part I—scheme I processing parameters

Metal matrix composites (MMC) were manufactured using hot pressing followed by hot extrusion of aluminum (Al) powder reinforced by alumina (AI₂O₃) particles. Under tensile as well as compressive loads, a strength improvement of 64 to 100 % compared to the matrix material strength was obtained. The percent elongation to fracture ranged from 20 to 30%, which indicates good ductility as compared to the ductility of MMC manufactured by other techniques. Optical as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examinations were used for characterization of the material microstructure and fracture behavior. Porosity retained in the microstructure was very limited in the case of pure aluminum billets. Microstructural examination revealed uniform distribution of Al₂O₃ particles in the Al-matrix. Under tensile loads, voids opened by decohesion between the matrix and reinforcement. Such behavior led to a decrease in strength properties of the MMC as a function of reinforcement volume fraction. The fracture surface is dominated by the ductile fracture features, that is, dimples. Voids were found to initiate at retained porosity sites at the AI/AI₂O₃ interface or in the matrix close to the interface due to stress concentration. The SEM revealed the formation of a complex fine subgrain structure. Such a polygonized structure is a major source of strengthening.