Aluminum Alloy Matrix Composite Reinforced with Metallic Glasses Particles Using Hot-Roll Bonding

Abstract

Composite materials (CMs) exhibit high hardness, mechanical strength, and wear resistance, but their processing properties are limited. The most popular reinforcements for composites are carbides, nitrides, and oxides. Amorphous metallic materials are an alternative reinforced component. Metallic glass can provide increased properties due to higher interphase strength between their particles and the metallic matrix when compared with nonmetallic particles. A sheet of metal matrix composite has been processed by roll bonding. The composite consists of an aluminum-based matrix reinforced by particles of Co48Cr15Mo14C15B6Tm2 metallic glasses and a cladding layer of AA5083 alloy. The thickness of the central layer of Al–5% Zn–5% Ca alloy reinforced by metallic glasses particles is 60% of the total thickness of the sheet, and the thickness of the cladding layer is 20% on the both sides. Granules of the CM were processed by mechanical alloying with the subsequent consolidation to the balk sheet by roll bonding in clad sheets at the temperature below class transition temperature of the amorphous component. The reinforcement compound retains the amorphous state after mechanical alloying and hot rolling, which is shown by X-ray and differential thermal analysis. The microstructure after different processing steps is studied by scanning electron microscopy and the mechanical properties of the metal matrix composite sheet at room temperature are studied. Amorphous particles have a size range of 2 to 187 μm and volume fraction of about 10%. The hardness of the composites is 25% higher than the hardness of basic alloy Al–5% Zn–5% Ca. The yield strength of the cladded CM is two times higher than that of metallic alloys of the matrix and cladding.