Abstract
Surface composite layers were successfully fabricated on an A 1050-H24 aluminum plate by dispersed iron (Fe) and magnetite (Fe3O4) particles through friction stir processing (FSP). Fe and Fe3O4 powders were packed into a groove of 3 mm in width and 1.5 mm in depth, cut on the aluminum plate, and covered with an aluminum sheet that was 2-mm thick. A friction stir processing (FSP) tool of square probe shape, rotated at a rate of 1000–2000 rpm, was plunged into the plate through the cover sheet and the groove, and moved along the groove at a travelling speed of 1.66 mm/s. Double and triple passes were applied. As a result, it is found that the Fe particles were homogenously distributed in the whole nugget zone at a rotation speed of 1000 rpm after triple FSP passes. Limited interfacial reactions occurred between the Fe particles and the aluminum matrix. On the other hand, the lower rotation speed (1000 rpm) was not enough to form a sound nugget when the dispersed particles were changed to the larger Fe3O4. The Fe3O4 particles were dispersed homogenously in a sound nugget zone when the rotation speed was increased to 1500 rpm. No reaction products could be detected between the Fe3O4 particles and the aluminum matrix. The saturation magnetization (Ms) of the Fe-dispersed nugget zone was higher than that of the Fe3O4-dispersed nugget zone. Moreover, there were good agreement between the obtained saturation magnetization values relative to that of pure Fe and Fe3O4 materials and the volume content of the dispersed particles in the nugget zone.
Highlights
Aluminum alloys possess attractive properties, such as low density, high strength-to weight ratio, excellent corrosion resistance and a relatively low cost [1,2,3], which make them an optimum structural material for some special-use applications, such as magnetic refrigeration and kitchen utensils for induction heating
A major impediment that restricts their application is their poor magnetic properties [4]. This restriction can be removed if a magnetic layer is cladded on their surfaces or particles with appropriate magnetic properties are embedded in the aluminum matrix to form surface metal matrix composites (SMMCs) [5,6,7]
The homogeneity the Fe particles within the nugget zone became poorer than that obtained at the 1000 rpm rotation speed
Summary
Aluminum alloys possess attractive properties, such as low density, high strength-to weight ratio, excellent corrosion resistance and a relatively low cost [1,2,3], which make them an optimum structural material for some special-use applications, such as magnetic refrigeration and kitchen utensils for induction heating. A major impediment that restricts their application is their poor magnetic properties [4] This restriction can be removed if a magnetic layer is cladded on their surfaces or particles with appropriate magnetic properties are embedded in the aluminum matrix to form surface metal matrix composites (SMMCs) [5,6,7]. It should be pointed out that these techniques are generally based on liquid phase processing at high temperatures In this case, it is hard to avoid the excessive interfacial reactions of added magnetic powder with aluminum matrix and the resulting formation of some undesirable phases, which weaken the bonding strength between them, as well as the magnetization property [21]. We report the fabrication of a new aluminum alloy with magnetic properties by dispersing iron and magnetite particles in a surface layer of aluminum (Al) 1050-H24 alloy using FSP
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