Reinforcement Content Research Articles

Enhancing the Mechanical Properties of Cu-Al-Ni Shape Memory Alloys Locally Reinforced by Alumina through the Powder Bed Fusion Process.

A classical problem with Cu-based shape memory alloys (SMAs) is brittle fracture at triple junctions. This alloy possesses a martensite structure at room temperature and usually comprises elongated variants. Previous studies have shown that introducing reinforcement into the matrix can refine grains and break martensite variants. Grain refinement diminishes brittle fracture at triple junctions, whereas breaking the martensite variants can negatively affect the shape memory effect (SME), owing to martensite stabilization. Furthermore, the additive element may coarsen the grains under certain circumstances if the material has a lower thermal conductivity than the matrix, even when a small amount is distributed in the composite. Powder bed fusion is a favorable approach that allows the creation of intricate structures. In this study, Cu-Al-Ni SMA samples were locally reinforced with alumina (Al2O3), which has excellent biocompatibility and inherent hardness. The reinforcement layer was composed of 0.3 and 0.9 wt% Al2O3 mixed with a Cu-Al-Ni matrix, deposited around the neutral plane within the built parts. Two different thicknesses of the deposited layers were investigated, revealing that the failure mode during compression was strongly influenced by the thickness and reinforcement content. The optimized failure mode led to an increase in fracture strain, and therefore, a better SME of the sample, which was locally reinforced by 0.3 wt% alumina under a thicker reinforcement layer.

Characterization of ultrafine grain tungsten carbide tool and its wear investigation in friction stir welding of HSLA steel

In this work, cemented carbides with different cobalt content were developed by using medium and ultrafine tungsten carbide grains. The GGI, (Cr3C2), was added in small amount (0.5 wt. %) to restrict the grain growth. The effect of particle size, reinforcement content and sintering temperature on metallography, densification and mechanical properties is investigated. At 1680 ºC, Co phase was uniformly distributed at WC interface by particle rearrangement and resulted in fully dense microstructure. The fine particle enhanced the sintering rate due to large specific surface area and surface energy. The developed tool was used to join 4 mm thick high strength low alloy steel plates without severe wear and degradation of the tool. Tool oxidation and interface degradation associated to extreme tribological welding condition is observed.

Fabrication and experimental investigation on mechanical properties of AL7075/SiC and crab shell powder hybrid metal matrix composites

The present review describes, in order to meet the need for service conditions from various applications like aircraft industry, automobile industries, etc., offers high strength materials. Therefore an effort was undertaken to work on improving the mechanical characteristics of Al7075 alloy composites with varied weight ratios of (5%, 10%, and 15%) Silicon carbide, which have been cast using the process of stir casting. In the prepared samples, the 10% of SiC reinforced metal matrix composite exhibited the best results compared to the other samples. For the evolution of aluminum metal matrix composite into a hybrid metal matrix alloy of Al7075-10%SiC-Crab shell powder with varied weight percentages (3%,6%,9%), samples and supplement test data were gathered. The mechanical properties of SiC and CSP reinforced composite specimens such that tensile strength was increased with increasing Wt % of SiC and CSP, percentage of elongation reduced with increasing % of SiC and CSP. The hardness of the composite increased with increasing reinforcement content of the matrix material approaching the base material. So, 10%SiC and 9% CSP reinforced composite is the best composite material compared to other composites.

Fabrication and mechanical properties of Ti2AlN/TiAl composite with continuous network structure

Nitrogen was introduced into TiAl pre-alloyed powder using high-temperature gas nitriding, and Ti2AlN/TiAl composites with a continuous network structure of the reinforced phase were prepared via spark plasma sintering. The results show that the hardness of the composite is significantly higher than that of TiAl alloy, and increases with the increase of nitriding time. The strengthening effect is originated from the synergistic effect of the solid-solution strengthening caused by the nitriding of the powder, the continuous network of the Ti2AlN phase with high hardness and elastic modulus, and the increase of dislocation density. Additionally, the compressive strength of the Ti2AlN/TiAl composites is lower than that of the TiAl alloy, which is related to a part of Ti2AlN particles that are directly formed after nitriding and excessive reinforcement content.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of SiC-reinforced Inconel 718 composites fabricated by laser cladding

Laser cladding provides the feasibility for fabricating various ceramic-reinforced metal-matrix composite coatings, where the reinforcement content plays a critical role in influencing the residual stresses and the performance of the cladded layer. In this paper, the SiC-reinforced Inconel 718 composites are prepared by LC, and the microstructure and mechanical properties (stress distribution, microhardness, wear behavior) of the cladded layers with different SiC contents are investigated. Based on multi-physics modeling complemented by experimental validation, the thermal stress distribution is analyzed and the residual stresses of the formed Inconel 718/SiC are investigated. The addition of an appropriate amount of SiC can help to relieve residual stresses in the clad layer, with the layer containing 5 wt% SiC corresponding to the minimum residual stress. Moreover, the addition of ceramic particles is conduced to refine the microstructures, and metallic carbides generated by the decomposition of SiC in combination with the diffused elements of the matrix play a positive role in the hardness improvement. The wear resistance of the coatings also increases significantly with increase of SiC content, and the wear mechanism is dominated by abrasive wear, accompanied by oxidation wear, fatigue wear and adhesive wear.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of high-content TiC reinforced Inconel 718 composites fabricated by laser-directed energy deposition

Although increasing the content of ceramic reinforcement in metal matrix composites can improve some mechanical properties of processed parts, it brings significant challenges to forming technologies such as laser additive manufacturing. In this study, the high-content 60 wt. % TiC reinforced Inconel 718 composites were fabricated by laser-directed energy deposition (LDED). The influence of the laser energy density (E) on the forming quality, microstructure development, and mechanical properties of the high-content TiC/Inconel 718 composites was investigated. It revealed that a smooth and continuous TiC/Inconel 718 deposition layer was fabricated at a proper E of 144.44 J/mm2. It is identified by x-ray diffraction that the high-content TiC/Inconel 718 composites contained two phases of Ni-Cr-Fe and TiC, and the Ni-Cr-Fe phase is the matrix phase of Inconel 718 superalloy. During the LDED process, the TiC particles melt and then precipitate without any phase changes. With increasing laser energy input, the TiC grain morphologies gradually experienced successive changes from an irregular shape to significantly refined and smoothened as an octahedron shape, and then to further refined as a near-octahedral shape with the growing tips. The dispersion state of the TiC reinforcing particles was homogenized due to the efficient Marangoni convection within the molten pool. At the optimized E of 144.44 J/mm2, the high-content TiC/Inconel 718 composite showed a relatively high average microhardness of 495.08 HV0.5, a low average coefficient of friction of 0.65, and a wear rate of 0.72 × 10−4 mm3/(N m). This research provides a fundamental understanding of high-content ceramic reinforced nickel matrix composites by laser-directed energy deposition.

Comparison of the Mechanical Properties and Crack Expansion Mechanism of Different Content and Shapes of Brass-Coated Steel Fiber-Reinforced Ultra-High-Performance Concrete

Steel fiber-reinforced ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is becoming an important type of concrete reinforcement. After mixing with the reinforced steel fibers, the UHPC has perfect flex resistance, shear strength, crack resistance, shock resistance, and anti-seepage. In this study, the influence of straight, corrugated, and hooked brass-coated steel fibers (BCSFs) on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and crack expansion mechanism of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with varying content of 1-6 wt.% under different curing times were investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry were employed to characterize the microstructure of the BCSF-reinforced UHPC mix specimens. X-ray computed tomography was employed to determine the porosity of the BCSF-reinforced UHPC mix specimens. The obtained results indicate the flexural strength and compressive strength of BCSF-reinforced UHPC mix specimens are enhanced, along with increasing the content of BCSFs reinforcement with different shapes (straight, corrugated, and hooked). The embedded BCSFs play a major role in the adhesive property and stress transfer of the BCSFs-UHPC matrix interface. Different from many studies, the flexural strength of mix UHPC with straight BCSFs is higher than those with corrugated and hooked BCSFs. However, the compressive strength of UHPC with corrugated BCSFs is higher than those with straight and hooked BCSFs. The flexural strength of mix UHPC with 6 wt.% straight BCSFs at 28 days reaches the maximum value of 26.2 MPa, and the compressive strength of UHPC with 6 wt.% corrugated BCSFs at 28 days reaches the maximum value of 142.3 MPa. With the increase in straight BCSF content from 1 wt.% to 6 wt.%, the porosity in mix UHPC reduces gradually from 18.4% to 8.3%. The length of average crack spacing is dependent on the straight BCSF content. With the increase in straight BCSF content from 1 wt.% to 6 wt.%, the average crack length reduces gradually from 34.2 mm to 12.1 mm, and the average crack width reduces gradually from 0.78 mm to less than 0.1 mm. During crack extension, part of the energy in the UHPC mixture specimen with the 6 wt.% BCSF content flows into the crack tip region converted into the work dissipated during the bridging process. The crack propagation resistance of the UHPC mixture with straight BCSFs was improved compared with those with corrugated and hooked BCSFs. The bond strength between the BCSFs and UHPC matrix was enhanced by using vibrational mixing, and the brass film coated on the BCSFs contributes to increase the flexural and compressive strength of the UHPC mixture.

High‐Stress Abrasive Wear Analysis of in Situ TiC‐Reinforced Zinc–Aluminum Composites Using Integrated Taguchi–TOPSIS Method

This study involves the preparation of in situ TiC‐reinforced zinc–aluminum alloy (ZA‐37) composites and analysis of their high‐stress abrasive wear behavior. The wear rate, friction coefficient, and frictional heating of the composites are investigated using a pin‐on‐disk wear tester. The experiments are carried out based on a plan created using Taguchi's technique. TOPSIS methodologies are used to determine the effects of applied load, abrasion distances, TiC contents on wear rate, coefficient of friction, and frictional heating throughout the wearing process. The results reveal that the composite with 10 wt% TiC exhibits the highest level of wear resistance among all samples. It is found that ploughing, microcutting, and delamination were the dominant wear mechanisms in general. However, in the optimum combination, mild abrasion and microploughing prevail. As per TOPSIS analysis, the reinforcement content affects the wear rate of test materials the most followed by applied load and abrading distance. Under the optimal combination of parameters, the in situ TiC composite has the potential of replacing the conventional gray cast iron utilized in bearing applications.

Production of Al2024/h-BN nanocomposites with improved corrosion, wear and mechanical properties

In this study, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) reinforced Al-based metal matrix nanocomposites were successfully prepared using a powder metallurgy-assisted high-energy ball milling and vacuum-hot pressing process. Al2024 alloy and h-BN nano-powders (at 0, 2, 3, 4, and 5wt%) were milled for 8 h to produce Al2024/h-BN nanocomposites. The effect of h-BN nanoparticle content on the microstructure, density, hardness, tensile strength, wear, and corrosion behavior of Al2024/h-BN nanocomposites was investigated. It was observed that the h-BN powders in the Al2024/h-BN nanocomposites were homogeneously distributed up to a content of 4 wt%, beyond which the h-BN aggregated at the grain boundaries due to excessive reinforcement. The uniform distribution of h-BN nanoparticles in the Al2024 matrix had a positive effect on the mechanical properties and wear and corrosion behavior of the Al2024/h-BN nanocomposites. The results showed that the highest values of hardness and tensile strength were 126 HB and 299.72 MPa, respectively, in the 4 wt% h-BN reinforced sample. The wear volume loss decreased significantly as the h-BN reinforcement content increased up to 4 wt %. The corrosion experiment results showed that the corrosion resistance of the 4 wt % h-BN reinforced nanocomposite, which had the lowest polarization resistance of 15.22 Ω cm2, was almost 5 times higher than that of the unreinforced Al2024 alloy.

Optimization and statistical modeling of the thermal conductivity of a pumice powder and carbonated coal particle hybrid reinforced aluminum metal matrix composite for brake disc application: a Taguchi approach

Aluminum metal matrix composites have been gaining traction in recent years due to their good mechanical properties and low weight. Particulate reinforcements for the improvement of its properties have been explored. This research aimed to determine the optimal composition of the reinforcement content (pumice powder and carbonated coal particles) and processing parameters (stirring speed, processing temperature, and stirring time) on the thermal conductivity of the developed material and also to characterize the constituents using x-ray fluorescence, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive x-ray. The Taguchi optimization approach and regression analysis were used for the optimization and statistical analysis, respectively. The Taguchi optimization results gave an optimum thermal conductivity of 111.5, 112.5, 111.7, 112.9, and 112.4 W m−1 °C for pumice, carbonated coal, stirring speed, processing temperature, and stirring time respectively. The optimization also revealed the optimum setting for reinforcements and stir casting process factors as regards thermal conductivity to be 2.5%, 5.0%, 300 rpm, 850 °C, and 5 min for pumice powder, carbonated coal particles, stirring speed, temperature, and time, respectively. The optimal thermal conductivity of 120.40 W m−1 °C was obtained for the hybrid composite which gives a 131.54% improvement over the conventional grey cast iron brake disc. The particulate reinforcements (pumice powder and carbonated coal particles) and the processing factors all had significant effects on the thermal conductivity of the material, with the carbonated coal particles having the highest percentage contribution of 16.51%, as established by the analysis of variance. A model for predicting the thermal conductivity was developed using regression analysis, and high prediction accuracy was established with R-Square, R-Square (adj), and R-Square (pred) values of 94.68%, 88.60%, and 79.94%, respectively. The results of the characterization show the presence of hard compounds such as silica, iron oxide, and alumina in pumice powder and carbonated coal particles.

Assessing the role of reinforcement size and weight percentage on the mechanical and wear characteristics of Al7050‐TiO2‐hBN hybrid composites

In the present study, hybrid composites of Al7050 reinforced with TiO2 (1, 3 and 5%) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN, 2, 4 and 6%) have been developed by using two different sized reinforcing particles (∼ 40 μm and ∼ 20 μm) through stir casting route with an aim to investigate the role of particles size within the micrometer level on mechanical and wear characteristics. From the microhardness measurements, higher hardness was measured for the composites with the increased content of the reinforcement. Similar trend was observed for the composites with both the reinforcement sizes. From the impact strength measurements, more values were observed for the composites having 20 μm sized reinforcements. With the increased fraction of hBN (6%), no significant improvement in the impact strength was noticed for the composites with 40 μm sized reinforcements. On the other hand, significant increase in the impact strength was measured for the composites with 20 μm sized reinforcements. Increased tensile strength (from 95 ± 4.6 up to 156.8 ± 6.1 MPa) with the higher fraction of reinforcements was measured at the cost of losing ductility as reflected in the decreased % of elongation (from 15.2 to 11.65). With the decreased size of reinforcement from 40 to 20 μm, the composites exhibited more strength and lower ductility. From the wear studies, it was clearly observed a decreased trend in the wear rate and increased coefficient of friction with the increased reinforcement content. Compared with 40 μm reinforcements, adding 20 μm sized reinforcements has shown higher level of impact on reducing the wear rate. The results demonstrate that the size difference of reinforcing particles in the level of a few micrometers also significantly affects the performance of the composites.

Eccentric compression behavior of Steel-FRP composite bars RC columns under coupling action of chloride corrosion and load

In order to investigate the eccentric compression behaviors of steel-FRP composite bar (SFCB) reinforced concrete (RC) columns subjected to chloride corrosion, the mechanical experiments of chloride corroded SFCBs and SFCBs RC eccentric compression columns were conducted. The effect of reinforcement type and ratio, eccentricity, slenderness, stress level and corrosion duration on bearing capacity, deformation, crack and failure pattern were investigated. The results showed that the strength retention ratio of reinforcement decreases with the increase of corrosion duration, the ultimate strengths of steel rebar, SFCB and FRP rebar decreased by 12.2%, 9.9% and 3.6%, respectively, when compared with those of uncorroded counterparts. With the increase of steel content of reinforcement, the load bearing capacity of eccentric compression RC column increases while the deformation decreases gradually. The load bearing capacity of corroded steel, SFCB and FRP RC columns maximally decreased by 16.6%, 12.4% and 7.2%, respectively, when compared with those of uncorroded counterparts. Based on the simplified materials constitutive relations and reasonable basic assumptions, formulae for discriminate failure mode, moment magnification factor and bearing capacity were developed. The predicted failure pattern, moment magnification factor and bearing capacity are in good agreement with the test results, confirming the validity of the proposed formulae, the results can be used as a reference for engineering application.

Developing Improved Corrosion-Resistant AA5083—BN/WC Composites for Tribological Applications

In this study, corrosion-resistant AA5083-BN/WC composites were developed for tribological applications through adequate control of the reinforcement content (WC and BN) in the matrix (AA5083 alloy). The effects of 6% and 12% tungsten carbide (WC) as well as 6% and 12% boron nitride (BN) additions on the corrosion behavior of AA5083 aluminum composite in 3.5% NaCl solution were carried out. Electrochemical techniques such as cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP), changes in the chronoamperometric current with time (CCT), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were utilized. The polarization results showed that the addition of 6% WC to the AA5083 alloy matrix improved its resistance to corrosion (RP). Rp exhibited an additional increase by adding 12% WC to the matrix. The values of RP were observed to increase for the AA5083 composite when adding 6% BN, and the highest RP values were recorded for the composite that contains 12% BN. The results obtained by the CPP method were confirmed by CCT and EIS measurements, where the presence of WC and BN protected the developed AA5083- BN/WC composites against corrosion. The corrosion resistance revealed an additional improvement with an increase in WC and BN content from 6% to 12%. The results also confirm that pitting corrosion decreased in the presence of WC and BN in the fabricated composites.

Effects of Ti2SnC MAX phase reinforcement content on the properties of copper matrix composite produced by friction stir back extrusion process

In this present work, the effect of Ti2SnC content on the microstructure, mechanical, electrical and wear properties of friction stir back extrusion (FSBE) processed Cu–Ti2SnC composite wire was investigated. The FSBE process was performed on copper matrix composite with 0–30 vol% of Ti2SnC reinforcement. The results show that by increasing the content of the Ti2SnC phase the hardness of the composite increased and reached 280.51 HV for composite containing 30 vol% Ti2SnC phases. The proper interface bonding was obtained in the composite containing 1 and 5 vol% Ti2SnC phases. The highest yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and wear resistance were obtained in the composite containing 5 vol% Ti2SnC phases due to the proper interface bonding. Also, the highest electrical conductivity (95.67% IASC) was obtained in a composite containing 1 vol% Ti2SnC phases. By increasing Ti2SnC phases higher than 5 vol% discontinuities between the Ti2SnC phase particles and the Cu matrix increased and result in decreasing strength and electrical conductivity of copper matrix composite.

Microstructure formation and mechanical performance of micro-nanoscale ceramic reinforced aluminum matrix composites manufactured by laser powder bed fusion

The constituent ratio merged into as-fabricated composites can directly influence the content of in-situ formed reinforcing phases, which is closely related to the mechanical performance of these composites. In this work, aluminum matrix composites reinforced with 10, 15, and 20 wt% (ZrC+TiC) ceramic fractions have been manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing. The effect of hybrid ceramic reinforcement content on laser absorption behavior, fabrication and fraction of micro-nanoscale reinforcing phases, mechanical performance of the as-fabricated aluminum matrix composites is studied. In the laser processing, TiC reacts with ZrC to synthesize interfacial layer on the unmolten ceramic particals and precipitate nano-particles. With the hybrid ceramic content raising from 10 to 20 wt%, the laser absorption behavior is enhanced, and the nano-particle fraction increases. The micro/nano hardness of the composites with 20 wt% ceramic content, reaches 120 HV0.2 and 1.33 GPa, respectively. An elastic modulus of ∼94.4 GPa and tensile strength of ∼280 MPa are obtained for the 15 wt% (ZrC+TiC)/Al composites, much higher than those of the unreinforced Al matrix. This is attributed to the combination of formation of nano-precipitates and coherent bonding at the reinforcement/matrix interfaces in these composites.

Effect of carbon fiber reinforcement on dimensional variations of 3D printed polyamide-6 composites: A simulation study.

Due to material design and fabrication flexibility, additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing (3DP) processes and polymer composites have paved their way into several industrial sectors. The quality of 3D printed polymer composites is highly dependent on the reinforcement content of polymers and 3DP process parameters. Several experimental studies are performed to optimize the reinforcement contents and process parameters; however, exploring the numerical modeling and simulation techniques is vital to lower the research and development costs. In the study, the numerical simulations for the 3DP process were performed using Digimat® software for carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide-6 (PA6) composites fabricated via the fused filament fabrication (FFF) process to evaluate the effect of reinforcement content on deflections, warpages, and process-induced residual stresses. The FFF process simulations were performed to fabricate tensile testing coupons with pure PA6 and 10%-28% CF-reinforced PA6 composites. A significant impact of CF-reinforcement was observed on the deflections, warpages, and residual stresses. The maximum displacement of 4.518 mm and critical warpage of 3.012 was observed for pure PA6 material. However, with the addition of CF reinforcement, a maximum deflection of 3.369 mm and critical warpage of 2.246 was achieved for PA6 reinforced with 28% CF (PA6-CF28). The improved 3D printed specimen quality was acquired at the cost of increased residual stresses of 14.53 MPa compared to 11.75 MPa in pure PA6 specimen. The CF reinforcement significantly improved the 3DP manufacturing performance of PA6/CF composites, reducing deflections and warpages.

A review on mechanical properties of aluminium-based metal matrix nanocomposites

Industrial production today requires new improved materials to meet market demands, which leads to the production of new materials with improved properties. One kind of response to those requirements is the development of metal matrix composites (MMCs) with the aim of obtaining materials with better properties when compared to conventional metals and alloys. Nowadays, metal matrix nanocomposites (MMnCs) are being increasingly investigated due to the possibility of achieving better machinability, high fracture toughness and improved ductility when compared to conventional composites. Considering the pace of development and the huge perspective of different classes of materials, this research aims to provide insight into the mechanical properties of aluminium nanocomposites. Aluminium nanocomposites are attracting a lot of attention due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, wear resistance and low costs, when compared to matrix alloy. In this paper, an attempt is made to review other research reports and make a connection between the characteristics of the microstructure and the mechanical properties, which are dependent on the method of fabrication and type and content of reinforcement.

Mechanical and corrosion properties of Mg–MgO and Mg–Al2O3 composites fabricated by equal channel angular extrusion method

Equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) has shown great potential for the consolidation of powdered materials. In the present article, the mechanical and corrosion properties of Mg–MgO and Mg–Al 2 O 3 composites produced by the ECAE method were studied. Pure magnesium reinforced with 0, 10, 20, and 30 ​vol percentages of MgO and Al 2 O 3 particles were hot consolidated at 600 ​MPa in an ECAE die without prior cold compaction or canning of the powders. Results indicated that the reinforcement content is directly proportional to the hardness, compressive strength, and corrosion resistance of the fabricated composites, while it has an inverse relationship with the relative density. The lowest relative density and the highest corrosion rate were obtained for the Mg+30%MgO composite samples, as opposed to the pure magnesium with the highest relative density and the lowest corrosion rate. Besides, composites reinforced with 30 and 20 ​vol percentages of alumina revealed the highest hardness and the highest compressive strength, which were 55% and 74% higher than that of the pure magnesium sample, respectively. Based on SEM and EDX analyses, it was shown that Mg–Al 2 O 3 samples had finer grain sizes compared to Mg–MgO composites. • ECAE was successfully implemented to fabricate Mg–MgO and Mg–Al 2 O 3 composites. • Hardness and strength are linearly related to the content of the reinforcements. • Mg–Al 2 O 3 showed remarkably higher strength and hardness compared to the Mg–MgO. • The corrosion rate of the Mg–Al 2 O 3 was lower than that of Mg–MgO.

Effect of variation of ceramic reinforcement content on metallurgical and cavitation erosion behaviour of microwave processed composite clads

The effect of varying (0%-30% by weight) reinforcement (Cr3C2) on the different characteristics of microwave processed composite clads (Ni-based (EWAC) matrix) was determined. The microstructure of composite clads showed growth of randomly orientated lamellar bands (Cr-Fe-C) rich phase in the Ni-Fe-Cr rich matrix, which confirmed the metallurgical bonding of clads with substrate. Higher microhardness values, with a lower standard deviation, were observed in the 30% Cr3C2 reinforced clad. Excellent cavitation erosion resistance of EWAC + 30% Cr3C2 composite clads, among all other clads and substrate samples, was observed. Synergy of higher microhardness and toughness resulted in significant improvement in the cavitation erosion resistance. Formation of pits, craters and plastic deformations were mainly responsible for the cavitation erosion failure of clads and substrate samples. The transition of damage from ductile mode to dual (brittle and ductile), and further brittle mode was observed with increase in weight percentage of reinforcement.

Effect of Variation of Ceramic Reinforcement Content on Metallurgical and Cavitation Erosion Behaviour of Microwave Processed Composite Clads

Effect of Variation of Ceramic Reinforcement Content on Metallurgical and Cavitation Erosion Behaviour of Microwave Processed Composite Clads