Mechanical characterization of integral aluminum-FRP-structures produced by high pressure die-casting

Due to the growing demand for light-weight solutions in a wide range of industrial sectors, the selection and combination of different materials is becoming more and more important. As a result, there is an increasing need for suitable joining technologies. In a new joining process, flexible glass fiber textiles are integrated into aluminum by high pressure die casting in the first production step. These structures are used for the electrochemical insulation between aluminum and carbon fiber textiles, which are connected in the subsequent production step by textile technology. The finished compound is formed in a final resin impregnation process. Challenges faced by Fraunhofer IFAM lie in the positioning, pre-tensioning, and infiltration of the glass fiber textiles in the high pressure die-casting process. The advantage of this joining technology, in addition to the electrochemical insulation between aluminum and carbon fibers, is in a slim and light-weight connection. Therefore, no thickening of the individual joining partners is necessary, and the force flow lines are not deflected. Within mechanical investigations of those hybrid structures it was determined, that the infiltration content of aluminum has only a small influence on the achievable tensile strength. Rather, casting parameters such as the holding pressure have an influence. The subsequent resin infusion process enables an additional infiltration by the resin system of fiber bundles that have been only slightly infiltrated with aluminum. As a result, additional adhesion can be achieved and the infiltration gaps can be closed. Furthermore, an influence on the achievable tensile strength was observed regarding the use of the fiber material. Further increases in tensile strengths were also observed by adapting the textile parameters (e.g. reduction of the fiber undulations). A variety of failure behaviors could be observed in dependence on textile and process parameters. Tensile strength of the hybrid structures was compared to reference samples made of glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin, to determine the loss of strength caused by the joining technology. Further investigations were carried out, including a fracture surface analysis using a scanning electron microscope. Thus it was possible to determine mechanisms of adhesion between encapsulated glass fibers and the surrounding aluminum matrix.