Abstract
Continuous pressure put on researchers all over the world these days to design materials of improved properties create opportunities to study new methods of production in conjunction with entirely new and innovative materials such as alloys or composites. The authors in the current research manufactured aluminium reinforced with glass fibre (GF) using metallurgical synthesis, which is an unconventional and not sufficiently studied method of production. The composites with 1, 2 and 5 wt.% of glass fibre were produced with additional material obtained using consolidation of aluminium powder in extrusion process as reference material with 5 wt.% of glass fibre. All the materials were subjected to series of tests in order to determine their microstructure, density, electrical properties, hardness and susceptibility to plastic working in the compression test. It was found that glass fibre during metallurgical synthesis of aluminium composite partially melted and thus did not reinforce the material as well as during extrusion, which has been observed not only in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis but also in the analysis of macroscopic physical and mechanical properties. Based on the analysed samples, it may be stated that electrical conductivity of the samples obtained via metallurgical synthesis is higher than might be estimated on the basis of the rule of mixtures and glass fibre content and concerning the sample with 5 wt.% of GF is higher (32.1 MS/m) than of the reference material obtained in extrusion process (30.6 MS/m). Similar situation has been observed in terms of hardness of the tested samples where a minor increase in hardness was noticeable as the amount of glass fibre increased in the composites obtained by metallurgical synthesis. It is believed to be related to the melting of glass fibre, which reduced the volume fraction of GF containing mainly silicon oxides and their diffusion into the aluminium matrix, thus causing solid solution strengthening.
Highlights
A growing demand for new functional materials based on light metals exhibiting a combination of properties impossible to obtain with conventional alloys manufactured via classical technologies may be observed nowadays
When considering the metallurgical synthesis of the composite, it must be noted that it is preferred to use components with just a slight variation in density in order to reduce the risk of gravitational segregation
The solid aluminium was melted in the crucible at 700 ◦ C and previously prepared and preheated prepared and preheated to 300 °C glass fibre was placed under the level of liquid metal for 10 s at the to 300 ◦ C glass fibre was placed under the level of liquid metal for 10 s at the amount of 1, 2 and 5 wt.%, amount of 1, 2 and 5 wt.%, obtaining a different rate of reinforcement of the aluminium matrix
Summary
A growing demand for new functional materials based on light metals exhibiting a combination of properties impossible to obtain with conventional alloys manufactured via classical technologies may be observed nowadays. The current work concerns manufacturing processes of the composites based on aluminium matrix reinforced with discontinuous glass fibre randomly oriented among the matrix and the investigation of the influence of the glass fibre addition to the matrix on basic physical and mechanical properties of the composite obtained by two various methods. Such composites are not commonly used in present-day technology and what is more, the scientific research is relatively limited. In the current paper, an attempt was made to combine these two materials using two distinctive manufacturing methods and to determine physical, mechanical and structural properties of the obtained materials
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
