Thermal expansion behaviour of aluminum matrix composites with densely packed SiC particles

The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of Al-based metal matrix composites containing 70 vol.% SiC particles (AlSiC) has been measured based on the length change from room temperature (RT) to 500 °C. In the present work, the instantaneous CTE(T) of AlSiC is studied by thermo-elastic models and micromechanical simulation using finite element analysis in order to explain abnormalities observed experimentally. The CTE(T) is predicted according to analytical thermo-elastic models of Kerner, Schapery and Turner. The CTE(T) is modelled for heating and cooling cycles from 20 °C to 500 °C considering the effects of microscopic voids and phase connectivity. The finite element analysis is based on a two-dimensional unit cell model comparing between generalized plane strain and plane stress formulations. The thermal expansion behaviour is strongly influenced by the presence of voids and confirms qualitatively that they cause the experimentally observed decrease of the CTE(T) above 250 °C.     

Sliding wear behaviour of Al-Si-Cu composites reinforced with SiC particles

Abstract

The sliding wear behaviours of an unreinforced monolithic Al-Si-Cu alloy and SiC particles reinforced composites containing 5, 13, 38 and 50 vol.-% with diameters of 5.5, 11.5 and 57μm were investigated. The results showed that the wear resistance of the composites is much higher than the monolithic alloy, and the larger and the more SiC particles, the higher the enhancement of the wear resistance. Metallographic examinations revealed that the subsurface of worn composites was composed of both fragmented particles and deformed matrix alloy. The depth of the particle fracture zone in the subsurface varied in the range of 20-35 μm at a sliding distance of 1.8 km, while the plastic deformation zone of the worn subsurface on monolithic alloy was more than 100 μm. Scanning electron microanalyses of the worn surface, subsurface microstructure and debris suggested that the depth of the particle fracture zone became smaller as the diameter of SiC particles increased. Increasing the hardness and decreasing the applied wear stress changed the debris morphology from flake to very small lumps.     

Yield stress of SiC reinforced aluminum alloy composites

This article develops a constitutive model for the yield stress of SiC reinforced aluminum alloy composites based on the modified shear lag model, Eshelby’s equivalent inclusion approach, and Weibull statistics. The SiC particle debonding and cracking during deformation have been incorporated into the model. It has been shown that the yield stress of the composites increases as the volume fraction and aspect ratio of the SiC particles increase, while it decreases as the size of the SiC particles increases. Four types of aluminum alloys, including pure aluminum, Al–Mg–Si alloy, Al–Cu–Mg alloy, and Al–Zn–Mg alloy, have been chosen as the matrix materials to verify the model accuracy. The comparisons between the model predictions and the experimental counterparts indicate that the present model predictions agree much better with the experimental data than the traditional modified shear lag model predictions. The present model indicates that particle failure has important effect on the yield stress of the SiC reinforced aluminum alloy composites.     

Erosion of reinforcement particles in SiC/aluminum composites

The granulometrical and morphological variations of eroded reinforcement particles during annealing for different times at several temperatures have been studied for SiC-pure Al system. The changes produced have been analysed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) after particle extraction.     

Sliding wear behaviour of SiC particle reinforced 2024 aluminium alloy composites

Abstract

Sliding wear tests on SiC particle reinforced 2024 aluminium alloy composites fabricated by a powder metallurgy technique were carried out, and the effects of SiC particle content, size, and the wear load on the wear properties of the composites were systematically investigated. It was found that the wear resistance of the composites was about two orders of magnitude superior to that of the unreinforced matrix alloy, and increased with increasing SiC particle content and size. Under the conditions of sliding wear used, the effect of SiC particle size on the wear resistance was more significant than that of particle content.

MST/3161     

切削SiC增强铝基复合材料时刀具的磨损形态及机理

为研究切削SiC增强铝基复合材料时刀具的磨损形态和机理,采用硬质合金和聚晶金刚石(PCD)刀具进行了各切削工况下的切削试验。用爆炸式快速落刀装置获取切屑根,研究了前刀面的磨损部位。借助扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和原子力显微镜(AFM),检测分析了前、后刀面的磨损形态和成分组成,并进一步研究了磨损机理。结果表明:切削刀具的主要磨损部位发生在后刀面,磨损机理是磨料磨损;前刀面临近刃口区域首先产生由SiC增强相引起的磨料磨损,该区域随后由机械镶嵌生成积屑瘤,积屑瘤脱落后导致产生黏结磨损。黏结磨损的程度较轻,没有形成月牙洼型。前刀面离刃口稍远的区域(积屑瘤尾部后面)会同时产生由切屑底层SiC增强相引起的再次磨料磨损,磨料磨损的主要机理是"微切削"。     

Grain refinement and wear properties evaluation of aluminum alloy 2014 matrix-TiB2 in-situ composites

A salt base exothermic reaction process has been employed to produce aluminum alloy 2014 matrix-TiB₂ composites using an exothermic reaction process at 850 °C using K2TiF6 and KBF₄ salts. The period of exothermic reaction was varied from a minimum of 15 min to a maximum of 45 min to investigate the relationship between the degree of reaction and the growth behavior of TiB₂ formed. These have been compared with commercially available aluminum alloy 2014 material. Structural and wear properties have been measured. These show that TiB₂ is extremely effective in enhancing wear properties in addition to significantly reducing the coefficient of friction. The microstructure and phase composition of the materials obtained were studied using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Very fine ceramic particles were obtained in the aluminum alloy matrix.     

Effect of matrix alloy and influence of SiC particle on the sliding wear characteristics of aluminium alloy composites

This article presents an effect of matrix alloy and influence of SiC particle on the sliding wear characteristics of high strength aluminium alloys AA7010, AA7009 and AA2024, composites was examined under varying applied pressure and a fixed sliding speed of 3.35 m/s. The results revealed that the wear resistance of the composite was noted to be significantly higher than that of the alloy and is suppressed further due to addition of SiC particles. The overall observation among the matrix alloys, AA7010 alloy shows maximum wear resistance than that of the other, and can withstand the seizure pressure up to 2.6 MPa. The wear mechanism was studied through worn surfaces and microscopic examination of the developed wear tracks. The wear mechanism strongly dictated by the formation and stability of oxide layer, mechanically mixed layer (MML) and subsurface deformation and cracking. The overall results indicate that the high strength aluminium alloys and composite could be considered as an excellent material where high strength and wear resistance components are prime importance especially designing for structural applications in aerospace and general engineering sectors.     

Study on bulk aluminum matrix nano-composite fabricated by ultrasonic dispersion of nano-sized SiC particles in molten aluminum alloy

Lightweight metal matrix nano-composites (MMNCs) (metal matrix with nano-sized ceramic particles) can be of significance for automobile, aerospace and numerous other applications. It would be advantageous to produce low-cost as-cast bulk lightweight components of MMNCs. However, it is extremely difficult to disperse nano-sized ceramic particles uniformly in molten metal. This paper presents a new method for an inexpensive fabrication of bulk lightweight MMNCs with reproducible microstructures and superior properties by use of ultrasonic nonlinear effects, namely transient cavitation and acoustic streaming, to achieve uniform dispersion of nano-sized SiC particles in molten aluminum alloy A356. Microstructural study was carried out with an optical microscope, SEM, EDS mapping, and XPS. It validates a good dispersion of nano-sized SiC in metal matrix. It also indicates that partial oxidation of SiC nanopartilces results in the formation of SiO₂ in the matrix. Mechanical properties of the as-cast MMNCs have been improved significantly even with a low weight fraction of nano-sized SiC. The ultrasonic fabrication methodology is promising to produce a wide range of other MMNCs.     

Void formation in metal matrix composites by solidification and shrinkage of an AlSi7 matrix between densely packed particles

Particle reinforced metals are developed as heat sink materials for advanced thermal management applications. Metal matrix composites combine the high thermal conductivity of a metal with a low coefficient of thermal expansion of ceramic reinforcements. SiC and carbon diamond particle reinforced aluminum offer suitable thermal properties for heat sink applications. These composites are produced by liquid metal infiltration of a densely packed particle preform. Wettability, interface bonding strength and thermal mismatch are critical for void formation which leads to thermal fatigue damage under operation. The evolution of voids in AlSiC and AlCD has been studied by in-situ high resolution synchrotron tomography during matrix solidification. Large irregularly shaped matrix voids form during eutectic solidification. These voids help alleviate thermal expansion mismatch stresses by visco-plastic matrix deformation during cooling to RT after solidification, if sufficient interface bonding strength is assumed.     

Microstructures and improved wear resistance of 3D needled C/SiC composites with graphite filler

Three-dimensional (3D) needled carbon/carbon (C/C) composites with a lowest porosity of 15.6% were achieved after 1 cycle of impregnation by phenolic resin slurry containing graphite filler, hot-pressing curing and pyrolysis. Carbon/silicon carbide (C/SiC) composites were obtained by liquid silicon infiltrating C/C composites. The aim was to incorporate cost effectiveness and excellent performance of C/SiC braking material. Using filler content not exceeding 30 wt% in the slurry promised undamaged C/C segments in C/SiC composites. The linear wear rate of C/SiC using 30 wt% filler was 0.33 μm side⁻¹ cycle⁻¹ and displayed a fourfold decrease; its weight wear rate was 2.46 mg side⁻¹ cycle⁻¹ and minus 171%, compared with the previously reported values of C/SiC without filler, at a braking velocity of 28 m/s. Its friction coefficients and friction stability coefficients appeared relative insensitive to changes in braking velocities and displayed higher values at high braking velocities compared with the previous values.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminum alloy matrix composites reinforced with Fe-based metallic glass particles

Fe-based metallic glass (FMG) particles reinforced Al-2024 matrix composites were fabricated by using the powder metallurgy method successfully. Mechanical alloying result in nanostructured Al-2024 matrix with a grain size of about 30 nm together with a good distribution of the FMG particles in the Al matrix. The consolidation of the composites was performed at a temperature in the super-cooled liquid region of the FMG particles, where the FMG particles act as a soft liquid-like binder, resulting in composites with low or zero porosity. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and compression test. The yield and fracture strength of the composites are 403 MPa and 660 MPa, respectively, while retaining a considerable fracture deformation of about 12%. The strengthening mechanism is associated with the grain refinement of the matrix and uniform distribution of the FMG particles.     

Abrasive wear of Al‐SiC composites

The two‐ and three‐body abrasion of aluminium matrix composites, reinforced with silicon carbide particles, have been investigated. The metal matrix composites were fabricated by a powder metallurgy route involving a final hot extrusion step. Air atomised aluminium powder Al 1100 was used as matrix and α‐SiC_p as reinforcement with mean sizes of 10, 27 and 43 μm; in the proportions of 5, 10 and 20 vol.%. Using a pin‐on‐disc apparatus and a wet monolayer tester, two‐ and three‐body abrasion tests were carried out respectively against silicon carbide and alumina abrasives with four different grit sizes. The microstructural characterizations were performed using light microscopy. The dominant wear mechanisms were identified using scanning electron microscopy. The influence of type of the abrasive particles on wear resistance and dominating wear mechanisms was reported. Relationships between size and volume fraction of the SiC_p reinforcement and wear resistance were discussed. It was shown that SiC_p particles reinforcement increases the abrasion resistance against all the abrasives used. This increase was generally higher against alumina than against silicon carbide abrasives.     

Tribological properties of densely packed vertically aligned carbon nanotube film on SiC formed by surface decomposition

Characteristic tribological properties, such as nonlinearity of the friction force-normal load curve, high coefficient of friction, and good wear-resistant performance were observed on densely packed, vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with different diameters and lengths using atomic force microscopy. Shorter and thicker CNTs were found to have higher coefficients of friction. The observed properties were attributed to the nonlinear elastic property of the CNTs caused by buckling.     

Reciprocal sliding wear behaviour of B4C particulate reinforced aluminum alloy composites

Aluminum based composites reinforced with B₄C particles were prepared by cryomilling and subsequent hot pressing steps. The cryomilled powders dispersed with 5 wt.% or 10 wt.% B₄C particles were hot pressed under a pressure of 600 MPa at 350 °C. Microstructural studies conducted on the composites indicated that homogeneous distribution of the B₄C particles in the Al matrix and a good interface between them had been achieved. According to the results of reciprocating wear tests carried out by utilizing alumina and steel balls, wear resistance increased with increasing B₄C particle content.     

SiC颗粒增强铝基复合材料的纯铜中间层液相扩散焊

采用Cu箔中间层在Ar气氛保护、550℃条件下过渡液相扩散焊(TLP)焊接SiC颗粒(SiCp)增强Al基复合材料SiCp/ZL101和SiCp/Al(SiCp10vol％),对母材与焊接接头的微观组织、剪切强度、焊接接头剪切断面与断裂路径等进行分析.结果表明:在铸Al(ZL101)与纯Al(Al)基体中,分别通过共晶...     

Carbon fibre composites with improved fatigue resistance due to the addition of tin-lead alloy particles

The addition of tin-lead (60 wt% Sn) alloy particles (about 21–25 μm in diameter, in an amount up to 37 wt% or 7.2 vol%) between continuous unidirectional carbon fibre layers in an epoxy-matrix composite was found to improve the fatigue life by over 100 times. The alloy addition had little effect on the tensile strength, tensile modulus, compressive strength, compressive modulus (with the compressive force parallel and perpendicular to the fibres), but increased the electrical resistivity. The composites were fabricated by compression moulding at 185–200°C and 1 MPa for 30 min. The heating allowed the alloy to melt while the epoxy cured. The fatigue life enhancement is probably due to the hindering of the fatigue crack growth by the alloy particles.     

Effect of SiC particles on fatigue crack propagation in SiC/Al composites

Fatigue crack propagation has been studied in two SiC particulate-reinforced aluminium-matrix composites with differing matrix alloys and composite heat treatments. Results indicate that the fatigue crack propagation rate (FCPR) of aged SiC/LY12 Al composites decreases with increasing volume fraction (V_f) of SiC particles; for composites containing 15 volume % SiC particles in an LY12 Al matrix the FCPR is independent of heat treatment (ageing or annealing). Annealed SiC/5083 Al composite has a higher FCPR than annealed SiC/LY12 AI. The influence of SiC particles on crack path is briefly discussed.