Bending Strength and Fracture Behaviour of Metal-Ceramic Interpenetrating Phase Composites Manufactured by Using Semi-Solid Forming Technology

Abstract

Interpenetrating Phase Composites (IPC) belong to a special category of composite materials, offering great potential in terms of material properties due to the continuous volume structure of both composite components. While manufacturing of metal-ceramic IPC via existing casting and infiltration processes leads to structural deficits, semi-solid forming represents a promising technology for producing IPC components without such defects. Thereby, a solid open pore body made of ceramic is infiltrated with a metallic material in the semi-solid state. Good structural characteristics of the microstructure as the integrity of the open-pore bodies after infiltration and an almost none residual porosity within the composites have already been proven for this manufacturing route within a certain process window. On this basis, the following paper focuses on the mechanical properties such as bending strength of metal-ceramic IPC produced by using semi-solid forming technology. Thereby, the impact of the significant process parameters on these properties is analysed within a suitable process window. Furthermore, a fractographic analysis is carried out by observing and interpreting the fracture behaviour during these tests and the fracture surface thereafter.