Lightweight Metal Matrix Composites Research Articles

Nano-Enhanced Phase Reinforced Magnesium Matrix Composites: A Review of the Matrix, Reinforcement, Interface Design, Properties and Potential Applications.

Magnesium matrix composites are essential lightweight metal matrix composites, following aluminum matrix composites, with outstanding application prospects in automotive, aerospace lightweight and biomedical materials because of their high specific strength, low density and specific stiffness, good casting performance and rich resources. However, the inherent low plasticity and poor fatigue resistance of magnesium hamper its further application to a certain extent. Many researchers have tried many strengthening methods to improve the properties of magnesium alloys, while the relationship between wear resistance and plasticity still needs to be further improved. The nanoparticles added exhibit a good strengthening effect, especially the ceramic nanoparticles. Nanoparticle-reinforced magnesium matrix composites not only exhibit a high impact toughness, but also maintain the high strength and wear resistance of ceramic materials, effectively balancing the restriction between the strength and toughness. Therefore, this work aims to provide a review of the state of the art of research on the matrix, reinforcement, design, properties and potential applications of nano-reinforced phase-reinforced magnesium matrix composites (especially ceramic nanoparticle-reinforced ones). The conventional and potential matrices for the fabrication of magnesium matrix composites are introduced. The classification and influence of ceramic reinforcements are assessed, and the factors influencing interface bonding strength between reinforcements and matrix, regulation and design, performance and application are analyzed. Finally, the scope of future research in this field is discussed.

EFFECT OF SUGARCANE BAGASSE ASH ON AA7075 ALLOY-BASED COMPOSITES PREPARED THROUGH STIR CASTING ROUTE

Al7075 is employed as the matrix material and sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) is a reinforcing material in this work, which is targeted at creating lightweight metal matrix composites (MMCs) at a reasonable cost. Hybridized improved composite castings have been produced and industrial as per ASTM standards with changing wt.% of 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%, and 16% wt.%, correspondingly, after mechanical testing for the evaluation of their strength. It is tested for hardness, tensile, impact, and flexural strength. Composites with hybrid enhanced metal matrix have greater tensile, hardness, and flexural strengths than single-reinforced MMCs. The composite’s tensile and flexural strengths were boosted by a 12[Formula: see text]wt.% increase in bagasse ash, which resulted in maximum values of 96.42% tensile and 23.58% flexural strength, respectively. As the bagasse weight percentage grew over 12%, these values fell, although Bagasse ash AA7075’s impact and ductility improved slightly.

Insight into the Properties of Novel Materials—Superalloys, Ferrous and Lightweight Alloys and Metal Matrix Composites

Modern industries heavily rely on the advancement of novel materials to meet the demanding requirements of a wide range of applications [...]

Preparation and characterization of porcupine-fish-spine-inspired AZ91/SiC composites with radial lamellar structures

There is a growing demand for lightweight, damage-tolerant, and wear-resistant structural materials, and it is difficult to produce such materials with conventional methods. In this work, we prepared AZ91/SiC composites with a porcupine-fish-spine-inspired structure through radial freeze casting and pressureless infiltration, and investigated the effect of the thermal conductivity of the freezing mold (copper, brass, and stainless steel molds) on the structure and mechanical properties of the composite prepared. Owing to a higher axial-radial temperature gradient ratio, scaffolds prepared with the steel mold had a stronger orientation of ceramic layers, and the corresponding composites had higher flexural strength and fracture toughness compared with those prepared using the copper mold. The main toughening mechanisms were crack deflection and uncracked-ligament bridging. In particular, a radially frozen composite had a lower dry wear rate (by 20%) at cross-sectional surfaces than a conventional axially frozen composite. This paper presents an economical and scalable method for the preparation of high-performance lightweight metal matrix composites.

Understanding the role of ultrasonic cavitation assisted casting of boron nitride nanotube-reinforced aluminum matrix composite

Integrating and dispersing one-dimensional (1D) nano reinforcements in metal matrix composites (MMC) is challenging due to their higher specific surface area, strong van der Waals forces within the nano reinforcement, and poor wettability with the matrix. In the present study, ultrasonic cavitation-assisted casting was employed to fabricate boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT)-reinforced aluminum matrix composites. The ultrasonic treatment (UST) demonstrated excellent deagglomeration, and dispersion of BNNTs in molten aluminum along with enhanced grain refinement potency. A remarkable ∼62% grain refinement efficiency in Al-BNNT composite compared to pure Al was achieved owing to the combined effect of UST, BNNT reinforcement and cold rolling. The increase in low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) by ∼58% in Al-BNNT composite, as revealed by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) maps, demonstrates the pileup of dislocations resulting in strength improvement. The yield strength exhibited a 97% improvement in the BNNT-reinforced composite compared to pure Al. The strengthening is attributed to UST, enhanced dislocation density and efficient bridging effect between BNNTs and the matrix. Thus, the present study constitutes the first successful report on the role of UST in the mechanism of BNNT dispersion, grain morphology and enhanced mechanical properties, including cold rolling of BNNT-reinforced MMC. Successful dispersion of BNNTs by ultrasonic cavitation confirms that UST technology is a promising method for manufacturing high-strength nanoparticle-reinforced lightweight metal matrix composites.

A Brief Review on Additive Manufacturing Processes for Lightweight Metal Matrix Composites

Many additive manufacturing (AM) processes have been developed to fabricate lightweight metal matrix composites (LMMCs) from constituent materials. However, the improvement in mechanical properties is significantly affected by the added reinforcing materials in the LMMC compared to metallic materials and their alloys. Recent advances in understanding the selecting criteria and effect of the reinforcement, preparation methods and AM process on the properties of LMMCs are summarised in this review. The preparation methods of particle-reinforced LMMCs include ex situ and in situ synthesis. The effect of various reinforcement and AM processes such as powder bed fusion (PBF) processes and direct energy deposition (DED) processes on the mechanical properties of LMMC parts are discussed.

Reaction-tunable diffusion bonding to multilayered Cu mesh/ZK61 Mg foil composites with thermal conductivity and lightweight synergy

• Reaction-tunable diffusion bonding (RDB) was proposed. • The indenter displacement was utilized to quantify the reactive diffusion degree with adjustable, visible, and high flexibility. • Multilayered Cu mesh/ZK61 Mg foil composites exhibited thermal conductivity and lightweight synergy. • Hasselman–Johnson model and Rayleigh model were applied to quantitatively scrutinize the thermal conductivity. The thermal properties of Mg alloys require further optimization to encounter the increasingly severe heat dissipation demands of high-power densities and highly integrated electronic components. In this study, a novel strategy of reaction-tunable diffusion bonding (RDB) was applied to manipulate the interfacial reaction in the multilayered Cu mesh/ZK61 Mg foil composites. The displacement of the punch was utilized to quantify the degree of reactive diffusion with adjustable, visible, and high flexibility. The interface was artificially manipulated to produce the fluid Mg–Zn eutectic liquid phase filling the interfacial gap at high temperature for a short time, followed by diffusion bonding at low temperature. The thermal conductivity of the composites first increased and then decreased, which was synthetically affected by the amelioration of metallurgical bonding and the moderately reactive consumption of Cu. The reinforcement Cu was converted from the Hasselman–Johnson model to the Rayleigh model, reflecting the optimization of the interfacial bonding quality. The composites with thermal conductivity and lightweight synergy were fabricated successfully. Therefore, RDB is a progressive technique, shedding lights on the innovative lightweight metal matrix composites with high thermal conductivities relevant to the 5G communications and new energy vehicle industries.

Hybrid magnesium matrix composites: A review of reinforcement philosophies, mechanical and tribological characteristics

Abstract Magnesium hybrid composites are a new class of lightweight metal matrix composites having excellent physical, mechanical, wear and corrosive properties. Hybrid magnesium matrix composites are fabricated using different combinations of reinforcements having basics properties like wear resistance and high strength of ceramics, self-lubricating of graphite, MoS2, CNT, and graphene, high thermal conductivity of carbon, diamond, and cubic boron nitride, and low cost of fly ash. This article presents an overview of different combinations of reinforcements used for fabrication of hybrid magnesium matrix composites and their effects on the mechanical and tribological properties of the hybrid materials. The major issues like agglomeration, interfacial phenomena, reinforcement–matrix bonding, and problems related to uniform distribution of particles are discussed in this article. Magnesium hybrid composites have the potential of satisfying the recent demands of aerospace, automobile, biomedical, defense, marine, and electronics industries. The future directions and potential research areas in the field of magnesium hybrid composites are also highlighted.

Kinetics Evaluation of Passive Oxidation at High Temperature of Silicon Nitride Used in the Fabrication of Lightweight Metal Matrix Composites

Kinetics Evaluation of Passive Oxidation at High Temperature of Silicon Nitride Used in the Fabrication of Lightweight Metal Matrix Composites

Microstructural evolution, shielding effectiveness, and the ballistic response of Mg/Al7075/B4C/Pb composite produced by combination of coating and severe plastic deformation (SPD) processes

Light-weight metal matrix composites reinforced by Pb and B4C are of interests in aerospace industry due to high strength to weight ratio and excellent shielding effectiveness. This paper investigates microstructure, shielding effectiveness, tensile properties, and high-velocity impact behavior of Mg/Al/B4C/Pb composite. In this composite, the B4C layer was deposited by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on aluminum layers, then the sandwich with the stacking sequence of Mg/Al/B4C/Pb was fabricated through accumulative roll bonding (ARB). The optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images illustrated that by increasing the cycles, all layers within composite experienced instabilities including necking and fracture. In addition, increasing the number of rolling cycles improved tensile properties, namely Young's modulus, elongation, yield, and ultimate strength. Furthermore, according to the results of the high-velocity impact test, by increasing the rolling cycle, less failure such as cracks and perforation was found on surfaces, indicating the enhanced ballistic resistance of composites. Plus, when composites were subjected to electron radiation, less relative doses of radiation were detected by dosimeter at higher rolling cycles which confirmed the attenuation of transmitted rays and then the enhancement of shielding effectiveness of composites.

Wear Characteristics of Mg Alloy AZ91 Reinforced with Oriented Short Carbon Fibers.

Light-weight metal matrix composites, especially magnesium-based composites, have recently become more widespread for high-efficiency applications, including aerospace, automobile, defense, and telecommunication industries. The squeeze cast AZ91 base material (AZ91-BM) and its composites having 23 vol.% short carbon fibers were fabricated and investigated. The composite specimens were machined normal to the reinforced plane (Composite-N) and parallel to the reinforced plane (Composite-P). All the as-casted materials were subjected to different tests, such as hardness, compression, and wear testing, evaluating the mechanical properties. Dry wear tests were performed using a pin-on-disk machine at room temperature under different applied wear loads (1–5 N) and different sliding distances (– m). The microstructures and worn surfaces of the fabricated AZ91-BM and the two composite specimens were investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) advanced analysis system. The wear debris was collected and investigated also under the SEM. The results showed significant improvement in hardness, compressive strength, and wear resistance of the composite specimens (Composite-N and Composite-P) over the AZ91-BM. The compressive strength and wear resistance are more fibers orientation sensitive than the hardness results. When the fiber orientation is parallel to the sliding direction (Composite-N), the weight loss is somewhat lower than that of the fiber orientation perpendicular to the sliding direction (Composite-P) at a constant wear load of 2 N and the sliding distances of , and m. In contrast, the weight loss of Composite-P is lower than Composite-N, especially at the highest sliding distance of m due to the continuous feeding of graphite lubricant film and the higher compressive strength. Plastic deformation, oxidation, and abrasive wear are the dominant wear mechanisms of AZ91-BM; in contrast, abrasive and delamination wear are mainly the wear mechanisms of the two composites under the applied testing conditions.

Tribological Behavior of Carbon-Based Nanomaterial-Reinforced Nickel Metal Matrix Composites.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) with exceptional mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrical properties are enticing reinforcements for fabricating lightweight, high-strength, and wear-resistant metal matrix composites with superior mechanical and tribological performance. Nickel–carbon nanotube composite (Ni-CNT) and nickel–graphene nanoplatelet composite (Ni-GNP) were fabricated via mechanical milling followed by the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The Ni-CNT/GNP composites with varying reinforcement concentrations (0.5, 2, and 5 wt%) were ball milled for twelve hours to explore the effect of reinforcement concentration and its dispersion in the nickel microstructure. The effect of varying CNT/GNP concentration on the microhardness and the tribological behavior was investigated and compared with SPS processed monolithic nickel. Ball-on-disc tribological tests were performed to determine the effect of different structural morphologies of CNTs and GNPs on the wear performance and coefficient of friction of these composites. Experimental results indicate considerable grain refinement and improvement in the microhardness of these composites after the addition of CNTs/GNPs in the nickel matrix. In addition, the CNTs and GNPs were effective in forming a lubricant layer, enhancing the wear resistance and lowering the coefficient of friction during the sliding wear test, in contrast to the pure nickel counterpart. Pure nickel demonstrated the highest CoF of ~0.9, Ni-0.5CNT and Ni-0.5GNP exhibited a CoF of ~0.8, whereas the lowest CoF of ~0.2 was observed for Ni-2CNT and Ni-5GNP composites. It was also observed that the uncertainty of wear resistance and CoF in both the CNT/GNP-reinforced composites increased when loaded with higher reinforcement concentrations. The wear surface was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis to elucidate the wear mechanism in these composites.

Twisting and Reverse Magnetic Field Effects on Energy Conversion of Magnetostrictive Wire Metal Matrix Composites

Lightweight metal matrix composites have attracted a great attention for their technological application in aerospace, automotive, or sporting goods, and the multifunctionality of these composites will further expand the range of applications. Herein, a kind of lightweight 1–3 magnetostrictive FeCo/AlSi composites is investigated to evaluate the effects of the specific structure design and reverse magnetic field on the energy conversion under compression. The microstructure of the FeCo/AlSi composite before compression was observed, and the results indicate that there is a large bonding interface, which has the benefits of strain/stress transfer. Compared with the FeCo/AlSi composite with straight FeCo wire, a design with twisted FeCo wire significantly enhances the output performance of the magnetostrictive FeCo/AlSi composite. Furthermore, comparison of the output voltage for the FeCo/AlSi composite in the N–S mode (forward magnetization) and N–N mode (reverse magnetization) reveals that the reverse magnetization can improve the efficiency of the energy conversion notably. In addition, the results of the output voltage in the theoretical calculation are virtually consistent with that in practical measurement.

Selection of reinforcement for Al/Mg alloy metal matrix composites

Abstract Given studies have carried to produce lightweight metal matrix composites (MMC) which have good mechanical and thermal properties. An alloy of Mg/Al has considered as the most commonly used alloy in the transport, Electronics and Sports industry for the production of lightweight elements. Mg/Al alloys improve mechanical, fabrication, and welding characteristics and reduce the production cost as compared to pure metal. Mechanical and thermal properties like creep and fatigue properties, damping, stiffness and specific strength significantly improved due to the addition of reinforcement materials into the metal matrix compared with the traditional engineering materials. SiC, Al2O3, and CNTs are commonly used reinforcement material for Mg/Al metal matrix composites. CNTs have thermal conductivity (6000 w/mK), high strength (100 GPa) and low mass density (1.3–1.4 g/cm3). CNTs are the most suitable reinforcement for preparation of the lightweight metal matrix.

Fabrication and characterization of AA6061/CNTs surface nanocomposite by friction stir processing

Aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) are among the advanced materials that are employed in numerous industrial applications. AMCs have good stiffness and strength. They have low weight that makes them valuably handy for improving fuel efficiency and economy in the structures made from them. The friction stir processing (FSP) is a novel technique which is highly advantageous for producing composites, which are reinforced with particles that are sub-micron in size particularly in light weight metal matrix composites (MMCs). Current study is done to examine the potential of AA6061-based surface nanocomposites by reinforcing it with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (as-received and purified) employing FSP. Fabrication of the composites is carried out by filling CNTs into the grooves of different sizes and friction stir processed (FSPd). Various parameters are investigated to attain best mechanical properties and dispersion of CNTs in the matrix. Metallography is used to reveal the material flow and grain size variation in the zones formed by the FSP. Micro hardness and tensile tests are conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties and an increase of 47.3% hardness and an increase of 32.4% ultimate tensile strength (UTS) are observed from the base FSPd material. Electron microscopic techniques are also employed to reveal the microstructural details.

Design and Analysis of Wishbones in Double Wishbone Suspension System: Technical Note

This paper details the design and analysis of the wishbones in double wishbone suspension system. Initially Pugh’s matrix approach is used to score the conventional materials and light weight metal matrix composites for the wishbone design. Based on the scores, an Alumina matrix composite has been found as the preferred material. Then, the designed wishbones were analysed using ANSYS finite element analysis software using AISI 1040 and metal matrix composite materials. Based on the FEA results, it has been concluded that the metal matrix composite yielded a better durability and strength than conventional metal.

Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Al-Mg Composites Synthesized by Reactive Sintering

Lightweight metal matrix composites are synthesized from elemental powder mixtures of aluminum and magnesium using pressure-assisted reactive sintering. The effect of the reaction between aluminum and magnesium on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites due to the formation of β-Al3Mg2 and γ-Al12Mg17 intermetallics is investigated. The formation of the intermetallic compounds progressively consumes aluminum and magnesium and induces strengthening of the composites: the yield and compressive strengths increase with the increase of the content of intermetallic reinforcement at the expense of the plastic deformation. The yield strength of the composites follows the iso-stress model when the data are plotted as a function of the intermetallic content.

Strengthening in Boron Nitride Nanotube Reinforced Aluminum Composites Prepared by Roll Bonding

Boron Nitride Nanotube (BNNT) is a promising reinforcement for developing strong and lightweight metal matrix composites due to its brilliant mechanical properties and excellent high‐temperature oxidation resistance. In this study, layered composites of aluminum and BNNT are fabricated by a multi‐step process comprising of hot pressing, rolling, and annealing. Less than 0.1 wt% of ultra‐long nanotubes (up to 200 μm in length) are used to induce superior strengthening. For achieving enhanced mechanical properties, nanotubes are de‐agglomerated and chemically dispersed in an aqueous solution before introducing between the layers of aluminum sheets. Application of pressure (up to 10 MPa) and temperatures (up to 300 °C) during rolling and hot pressing induces a bonding between aluminum sheets and nanotubes. Scanning electron microscopy reveals that the nanotubes survive these conditions, suggesting superior thermal and mechanical endurance of BNNT. The nanohardness and elastic modulus of the composites are found to improve by 52% and 17%, respectively, by merely 0.045 wt% BNNT addition. BNNT reinforced composites exhibit up to 13% improvement in ultimate tensile strength. The improvement in mechanical properties is ascribed to effective load transfer from the aluminum matrix to the long nanotubes via interfacial shear stress and enhancement of dislocation density.

Production of TiO2 Coated Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes by the Sol-Gel Technique

In recent years, efforts in developing high strength-low density materials are increasing significantly. One of the promising materials to attend this demand is the carbon nanotube (CNT), to be used mainly as a reinforcing phase in lightweight metal matrix composites (MMC). In the present work, the sol-gel technique has been employed to obtain TiO2 coating on the surface of commercial multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). The aim of such coating is to improve the thermal stability of MWCNT in oxidize environment, which is necessary in most of MMC processing routes. Calcination in inert atmosphere was performed in order to crystallize a stable coating phase. The hybrid CNT/TiO2 nanocomposite was characterized by X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Thermogravimetry (TGA) and Field Emission Gun - Scanning Electron Microscopy (FEG-SEM). The coating structure was observed to change from anatase to rutile, as the calcination temperature increases from 500 to 1000°C. Results from thermogravimetric analysis showed that the samples calcined at 1000 ºC were more resistant to oxidation at high temperatures.

Blended powder semisolid forming of Al7075/Al2O3 composites: Investigation of microstructure and mechanical properties

Blended powder semisolid forming was adapted to fabricate Al7075/Al2O3 composites. The process included powders uniform distribution, mechanical alloying, and semisolid compaction. Al7075 elemental powders (20 and 63μm) were incrementally added to ethanol solution under ultrasonic mixing. Al2O3 particles with different sizes (5 and 120μm) and weight fractions (5, 10, and 20wt.%) were blended with the matrix particles using a planetary ball mill. Al7075/Al2O3 composites were then compacted at semisolid state under different pressures (40 and 80MPa). The effects of Al7075 and Al2O3 particle size, Al2O3 weight fraction, and compaction pressure on the morphology, microstructure, compaction mechanism, density, hardness, compression modulus and strength, and phase formation were measured and analyzed. The highest microstructural uniformity was achieved when large Al2O3 particles (120μm) were distributed within the small matrix particles (20μm). The density and hardness increased as the size of the reinforcing particles and the applied pressure were increased. Therefore, the composites with 20μm Al7075 and 20wt.% of 120μm Al2O3 powder compacted under 80MPa exhibited the highest improvements in relative density (98.685%), hardness (Rockwell B of 70), and compressive strength (327MPa). The results are of great value in developing high performance lightweight metal matrix composites.