Abstract
Aluminium matrix composites are both strong and lightweight, and are limited in their applications due to the proper choice of welding process. Conventional welding that is based on fusion at the welded joint is not suitable because it leads to the formation of certain defects at the welded joint. For this reason, solid-state welding such as diffusion bonding is one of the suitable joining methods, as there will be no melting of any of the constituents. The solid-state diffusion bonding at 520° C of Al6061-SiC nanocomposites was investigated. This composite material was made by powder metallurgy, where aluminium alloy Al6061 was selected as the base metal, and SiC nanoparticles with an average size of 50 nm were added as reinforced particles. The effects of bonding time on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the welded material were investigated. The main characterisation techniques were optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and microhardness measurements. We have found that increasing the holding time up to 3 h at 520° C strengthens the weldability of the two basic composite materials and increases their hardness. X-ray diffraction analysis did not reveal any new phase during diffusion welding; it is considered one of the advantages of using the solid-state diffusion welding technique for the assembly of this kind of composite material. The welding success of this composite material widens its field of use, such as the automotive or space industry, because it is a light material with high mechanical properties.
Highlights
A composite material is made up of at least two materials, which combine to give properties superior to those of the individual constituents
It has been reported that some defects can form in the welded joint if the composite materials have been welded by traditional fusion welding methods [16]
The Al6061-silicon carbide (SiC) nanocomposite was successfully welded by solid-state diffusion bonding
Summary
A composite material is made up of at least two materials, which combine to give properties superior to those of the individual constituents. The widespread applications of aluminium matrix composites (AMCs) are limited due to the high cost of reinforcements and the inadequate development of joining technology [1,2]. The most widely used ceramic reinforcement for AMCs is silicon carbide (SiC). The study of this type of composite material has aroused the interest of researchers. Shankar et al [3] mentioned that AMCs reinforced with SiC particles improve the yield strength. It is important to mention that research on AMC welding is divided into two categories: fusion welding and solid-state welding [4]. The main problem with joining AMCs using classical fusion methods is the development of unwanted interfacial reactions between the matrix and the reinforcement [8]. It has been observed that it is difficult to maintain the distribution of ceramic particles in the weld zone compared to that of the parent composite [9]
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