Fiber reinforcement of investment cast parts
- Aachen Institute of Technology (Germany)
For 3 years now the Foundry-Institute (Giesserei-Institut) of the Aachen Institute of Technology has worked on the development of a new, low-cost production process for longfiber-reinforced light alloy components. The process baseline is oriented on the precision casting process in its investment casting mode, also known as lost wax process. The investment casting process is well known as a typical near-net-shape process for the manufacture of high-quality cast components, predominantly for applications in the aerospace industry (structured components, turbine blades and parts etc.) and enjoys significant growth rates during the last decades. After preliminary studies on the modification of single process substeps R & D work concentrated on the final-shape production of Al-components (Al-alloys A356, A357, 201 etc.) reinforced with long ceramic fibers. Both SiC and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-based fibers of several producers were used. Main interest focuses on techniques for a selective reinforcement of main stress sections. Without using conventional sintered preforms the fibers are infiltrated with molten metal under a support pressure of less than 1 MPa. Combined with a new developed wax pattern technique test specimens with a nearly homogeneous fiber distribution were produced. In addition, even reactive matrix alloys did not lead to destructive interface reactions. In most cases sufficient bonding between fibers and matrix could be observed. Following to these positive tendencies a considerable improvement of mechanical properties could be measured for longfiber reinforced Al-alloys. Both tensile strength and elastic modulus could be increased up to 100% compared with the unreinforced matrix alloy. Latest work concentrated on the production of small representative components for potential applications.
- OSTI ID:
- 143653
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930246-; ISBN 0-87339-251-5; TRN: IM9413%%163
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Advanced composites `93: international conference on advanced composite materials (ICACM), Wollongong (Australia), 15-19 Feb 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1993; Related Information: Is Part Of Advanced composites 1993; Chandra, T. [ed.] [Univ. of Wollongong (Australia)]; Dhingra, A.K. [ed.] [DuPont, Wilmington, DE (United States)]; PB: 1464 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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