Homogeneous metal matrix composites produced by a modified stir-casting technique

Conference · Sun Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:186752

Kennedy, A R; McCartney, D G; Wood, J V ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Nottingham (United Kingdom). Dept. of Materials Engineering and Materials Design

Al-based metal matrix composites have been made by a novel liquid processing route which is not only cheap and versatile but produces composites with extremely uniform distributions of the reinforcing phase. Particles of TiB{sub 2}, TiC and B{sub 4}C have been spontaneously incorporated, that is without the use of external mechanical agitation, into Al and Al-alloy melts in volume fractions as high as 0.3. This has been achieved through the use of wetting agents which produce K-Al-F based slags on the melt surface. Spontaneous particle entry and the chemistry of the slag facilitate the generation of good distributions of the reinforcing phase in the solidified composite castings. Non-clustered, near homogeneous distributions have been achieved irrespective of the casting conditions and the volume fraction, type or size of the reinforcement. The majority of the reinforcement becomes engulfed into the solid metal grains during solidification rather than, what is more commonly the case, being pushed to the inter-granular regions. This intra-granular distribution of the reinforcement is likely to improve the mechanical properties of the material.

• OSTI ID: 186752
• Report Number(s): CONF-950201-; ISBN 0-87339-316-3; TRN: 96:007152
• Resource Relation: Conference: Annual meeting and exhibition of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS), Las Vegas, NV (United States), 12-16 Feb 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Synthesis/processing of lightweight metallic materials. Proceedings; Froes, F.H.; Suryanarayana, C. [eds.] [Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, ID (United States). Inst. for Materials and Advanced Processes]; Ward-Close, C.M. [ed.] [Defence Research Agency, Farnborough (United Kingdom)]; PB: 380 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CASTING
MICROSTRUCTURE
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
SILICON ALLOYS
COPPER ALLOYS
MANGANESE ALLOYS
TITANIUM BORIDES
TITANIUM CARBIDES
BORON CARBIDES
MAGNESIUM ADDITIONS
IRON ADDITIONS
TITANIUM ADDITIONS
ZINC ADDITIONS
OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
GRAIN SIZE
DENDRITES
PARTICULATES
METALLURGICAL FLUX
POTASSIUM FLUORIDES
TITANIUM FLUORIDES
BORON FLUORIDES
GRAIN REFINEMENT