Manufacturing of Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforced Aluminum by Spark Plasma Sintering

Miguel Jiménez,Rainer Gadow,Felix Ott,Frank Kern

doi:10.3390/ceramics3030024

Abstract

In the field of metal matrix composites (MMC), spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique has been used so far for the manufacture of particle, whisker and short-fiber reinforced alloys. In this work, SPS technique is employed for the first time to produce continuous fiber reinforced light metals. For this purpose, metal matrix composite prepregs with aluminum as a surface coating on carbon fiber textiles are manufactured by twin arc wire spraying and subsequently consolidated by SPS in the semi-solid temperature range of the alloy. Shear thinning rheological behavior of the metal alloy at temperatures between solidus and liquidus enables the infiltration of fiber rovings under reduced forming loads. SPS offered a better controlled and more efficient heat transfer in the green body and faster consolidation cycles in comparison with alternative densification methods. Fully densified samples with no porosity proved the suitability of SPS for densification of MMC with a remarkable stiffness increase in comparison with samples densified by thixoforging, an alternative consolidation method. However, the pulse activated sintering process leads to a quite strong fiber/matrix adhesion with evidence of aluminum carbide formation.

Highlights

Aluminum has become the preferred structural material for a myriad of applications in the fields of ground transportation and aeronautics because of its low density in comparison with carbon steel
By adequate selection of reinforcing phase and composite architecture, different objectives can be achieved by the substitution of conventional materials by metal matrix composites (MMC) components such as, Young’s modulus increase, reduction of thermal elongation and creep resistance increase [1]
differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests tests of of this this study study were were conducted conducted with with the the thermal thermal analyzer analyzer

Summary

Introduction

Aluminum has become the preferred structural material for a myriad of applications in the fields of ground transportation and aeronautics because of its low density in comparison with carbon steel. Specific demands of certain components require the use of alternative lightweight materials with higher stiffness and targeted thermo-physical properties. Due to this reason, metal matrix composites (MMC) have been in focus of research over the last 50 years. For niche applications in sectors of low pricing pressure, such as aerospace, different material solutions based on ceramic fiber (SiC, Al2 O3 ) reinforced light metals have been developed since the 1980s [2]. For the establishment of fiber reinforced light metals in application fields with tough cost targets, as ground transportation or mechanical engineering, low-priced raw materials and economically viable manufacturing processes are required

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