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Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Kasteelpark Arenberg 44, Heverlee 3001, Belgium
Received 21 November 2001; received in revised form 20 May 2003; accepted 5 June 2003
Abstract
Three aluminium metal matrix composites containing reinforcing particles of B4 C, SiC and Al2 O3 (020 vol.%) were processed. The
stir-casting manufacturing route followed by hot extrusion was utilized, being one of the cost-effective industrial methods. A clear interfacial
reaction product/layer was found at AlSiC interface for composites held for a relatively long processing time (>30 min). No reaction
product was observed at AlB4 C and AlAl2 O3 interfaces at the resolution limit of the SEM used. On the other hand, two secondary
phases (alumina and another phase containing aluminium, boron and carbon) were found in the aluminum matrix away from the interface
in AlB4 C composites. From the fracture surface analysis, B4 C reinforced Al composite seemed to exhibit a better interfacial bonding
compared to the other two composites.
2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Metal matrix composites; Stir casting; Interface; Secondary phase; Wetting
1. Introduction
Aluminium metal matrix composites (Al MMCs) are being considered as a group of new advanced materials for
its light weight, high strength, high specific modulus, low
co-efficient of thermal expansion and good wear resistance
properties. Combination of these properties are not available
in a conventional material [1]. The use of Al MMC has been
limited in very specific applications such as aerospace and
military weapon due to high processing cost. Recently, Al
matrix composites have been used for the automobile products such as engine piston, cylinder liner, brake disc/drum
etc. [2]. Processing techniques for Al MMCs can be classified into (1) liquid state processing, (2) semisolid processing
and (3) powder metallurgy [3,4]. Particulate reinforced Al
composites can be processed more easily by the liquid state
i.e. melt-stirring process. Melt stir casting is an attractive
processing method since it is relatively inexpensive and offers a wide selection of materials and processing conditions.
The primary function of the reinforcement in MMCs is
to carry most of the applied load, where the matrix binds
the reinforcements together, and transmits and distributes
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: haseeb@mme.buet.ac.bd (A.S.M.A. Haseeb).
0924-0136/$ see front matter 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/S0924-0136(03)00815-X
K.M. Shorowordi et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 142 (2003) 738743
temperature [10,11,14,15]. Good wettability of B4 C in aluminium has been found in air due to the formation of boron
oxide film around the particles [10,11]. Literature related
on the microstructure and interface of AlB4 C composites
processed by a stir cast method in air is very scarce.
The main aims of the present work were to see the feasibility to produce AlB4 C composites by using conventional
liquid melt-stirring process in air. For the comparison of the
microstructure (particles distribution and pores) and interface of AlB4 C composites, other two composites AlSiC
and AlAl2 O3 were produced by using the melt stirrer
method. The microstructure and interfaces were studied using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).
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The microstructure was investigated by optical and scanning electron microscope (Philips XL 30 FEG) equipped
with EDX spectroscopy. Fracture surface of some of the
composites were analyzed by the SEM.
Table 1
Showing stirring time (particle addition time and after particle addition)
of composites
Composites
Volume
fraction
(%)
Stirring time
during particle
addition (min)
Stirring time
after particle
addition (min)
AlSiC
6
13
15
20
17
30
45
50
10
10
60
10
AlAl2 O3
20
50
16
AlB4 C
13
30
16
Fig. 1. Macrostructure revealing pores distribution in cast AlSiC composites (from left: 0, 6, 13 and 20 vol.% SiC).
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K.M. Shorowordi et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 142 (2003) 738743
Fig. 2. Optical micrographs showing the distribution of particles in as-cast: (a) Al13 vol.% SiC; (b) Al13 vol.% Al2 O3 ; (c) Al13 vol.% B4 C composites.
Fig. 3. SEM micrographs showing the interfaces of (a) Al20 vol.% SiC (interaction time 60 min), (b) Al20 vol.% Al2 O3 (interaction time 66 min) and
(c) Al13 vol.% B4 C (interaction time 46 min).
K.M. Shorowordi et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 142 (2003) 738743
741
Fig. 4. SEM micrographs showing the interface of AlSiC composites at different interaction times: (a) 27 min (no interaction layer); (b) 105 min (thick
interaction layer).
Fig. 5. EDX spectra showing the elements present in the interaction layer
at the interface of AlSiC composites.
(1)
(2)
Fig. 6. X-ray mapping showing the distribution of Al and Si at the AlSiC interface (black phase indicates the presence of elements).
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K.M. Shorowordi et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 142 (2003) 738743
(3)
Fig. 8. Fracture surfaces of (a) Al20 vol.% SiC, (b) Al20 vol.% Al2 O3 and (c) Al13 vol.% B4 C.
K.M. Shorowordi et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 142 (2003) 738743
For AlB4 C composite, no clear interaction layer was detected at the interface at this resolution level (Fig. 3c). The
B4 C particles seemed to adhere well to the Al matrix. Two
secondary phases were observed in the matrix away from
the interface (Fig. 7). From EDX analysis it is thought that
these phases are Al2 O3 and aluminum boroncarbide. The
presence of alumina particle in AlB4 C composites has also
been reported elsewhere [14]. The alumina may come from
B2 O3 Al2 O3 in AlB4 C composites during processing mentioned earlier. The alumina particles are small and spread
throughout the Al matrix while the second phase forms relatively larger particles but less in number. B4 C decomposes by
chemical interaction with solid or liquid aluminium at temperature ranging from 627 to 1000 C. The reaction products
are ternary carbide Al3 BC and diboride AlB2 up to 868 C.
At temperature higher than 868 C, Al3 BC is still formed
while Al3 B48 C2 replaces AlB2 [14]. As the processing temperature is below 868 C in the present work, the phases
present are expected in the AlB4 C composites to be Al3 BC
and AlB2 . But no aluminium boron containing phase was
found. Hence, it is thought that the aluminium boron carbon
containing phase is Al3 BC. No Al4 C3 is present in AlB4 C
composites as it was processed below 1000 C. This is a specific feature that differentiates the AlB4 C couple from other
reactive couple such as AlSiC, at the interface of which
Al4 C3 appears as a major reaction product. Moreover, the
secondary phases that are produced in AlB4 C system are
not detrimental for the composites like Al4 C3 . These rather
improve the properties of the composites [15].
Three composites with the highest volume fractions of
the reinforcing particles viz. Al20SiC, Al20Al2 O3 and
Al13B4 C were fractured to investigate the nature of the
bonding between the reinforcing particles and Al matrix.
Fracture surfaces of these three composites are displayed
in Fig. 8. Among the three composites, AlB4 C system
showed the strongest bonding as revealed by the good matrix/particulate adherence. No gap or micro-void is observed
at the particle/matrix interface in the fracture surface. For
AlSiC system, the bonding seems to be weaker than that
of AlB4 C due to the relatively low adherence of matrix alloy to the particulate. The weakest bonding among the three
composites was found in the fracture surface of AlAl2 O3
system. Voids and micro-voids were present at the particle/matrix interface of AlAl2 O3 indicating a weak bonding.
4. Conclusions
Particles distribution was found to be better in AlB4 C
composites as compared to AlSiC and AlAl2 O3 composites. A clear interfacial reaction product was found at AlSiC
interface for composites processed for long period, while
no reaction product was observed at AlB4 C and AlAl2 O3
interfaces. Two secondary phases in the aluminium matrix
away from the interface in AlB4 C composites are thought to
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank ABOS, Belgium for support through a VlIR-ABOS (19982002).
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