• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.163-178
• /
• 2001

The squeeze infiltration process is potentially of considerable industrial importance. The performance enhancements resulting from incorporation of short alumina fiber into aluminum are well documented. These are particularly significant for certain automobile components. Aluminum matrix composite automotive parts, such as diesel engine pistons or engine blocks are produced using squeeze casting apparatus or pressure die-casting apparatus. But the solidification process gets complicated with manufacturing parameters and the factors for porosity formation have not fully understood yet. In this study the formation of porosity during squeeze infiltration has been studied experimentally to achieve an improved understanding of the squeeze infiltration process for manufacture of short-fiber-reinforced components, particularly the mechanism of porosity formation. Al-based MMCs produced under a range of conditions were examined metallographically and the porosity characterised;a kind of matrix, an initial temperature of melt, and a volume fraction of reinforcement. The densimetry and the microscopic image analysis were done to measure the amount of porosity. A correlation between manufacturing parameters and defects was investigated through these.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.270-274
• /
• 2011

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) treatment was performed on squeeze cast AZ31 alloy and $Al_{18}B_4O_{33}w/AZ31$ composite. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was employed to characterize the surface morphology and cross-section microstructure of the coating. The phase structures of the PEO coating were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The corrosion resistance of the PEO coating was evaluated by electrochemical method. The results showed that the $Al_{18}B_4O_{33}$ whisker on the surface of the composite was decomposed and $MgAl_2O_4$ was formed in the PEO coating layer of $Al_{18}B_4O_{33}w/AZ31$ composite during PEO treatment. As a result, the electrochemical corrosion potential of the PEO coated $Al_{18}B_4O_{33}w/AZ31$ composite was increased compared with that of AZ31 alloy.

• Advanced Composite Materials
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.339-350
• /
• 2009

Al-Fe-V-Si alloys reinforced with SiC particles were prepared by multi-layer spray deposition technique. Both microstructures and mechanical properties including hardness and tensile properties development during hot exposure process of Al-8.5Fe-1.3V-1.7Si, Al-8.5Fe-1.3V-1.7Si/15 vol% $SiC_P$ and Al-10.0Fe-1.3V-2Si/15 vol% $SiC_P$ were investigated. The experimental results showed that an amorphous interface of about 3 nm in thickness formed between SiC particles and the matrix. SiC particles injected silicon into the matrix; thus an elevated silicon concentration was found around $\alpha-Al_{12}(Fe,\;V)_3Si$ dispersoids, which subsequently inhibited the coarsening and decomposition of $\alpha-Al_{12}(Fe,\;V)_3Si$ dispersoids and enhanced the thermostability of the alloy matrix. Moreover, the thermostability of microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-10.0Fe-1.3V-2Si/15 vol% $SiC_P$ are of higher quality than those of Al-8.5Fe-1.3V-1.7Si/15 vol% $SiC_P$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
• /
• 1993.11a
• /
• pp.32-33
• /
• 1993

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
• /
• 1994.04c
• /
• pp.42-43
• /
• 1994

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.30 no.9
• /
• pp.731-739
• /
• 1993

R-curve measurements were performed on Al2O3(matrix)-ZrO2-SiC whisker composite and Al2O3-ZrO2, Al2O3-SiC whisker composites in the favor of comparing the effect of ZrO2 and SiC whisker, as a second phase, to Al2O3 matrix. Al2O3-SiC whisker and Al2O3-ZrO2-SiC whisker were fabricated by hot pressing at 1$700^{\circ}C$, 15MPa and Al2O3-ZrO2 by pressureless sintering at 1$600^{\circ}C$. A controlled flaw/strength technique was utilized to determine fracture resistance as a function of crack extension and R-curve behaviour was determined from the relationship which is KR=K0(Δa)m. R-curveresults were KR=6.173$\times$Δa0.031 for Al2O3-ZrO2, KR=18.796$\times$Δa0.172 for Al2O3-SiC whisker and KR=11.96$\times$Δa0.110 for Al2O3-ZrO2-SiC whisker composite. From the analysis of R-curve and expeirmental data above three composites, it is found that R-curve behaviour of Al2O3-ZrO2-SiC whisker composite was dominated initially by the strengthening effect of ZrO2 and after, some extended crack were influenced by the effect of SiC whisker. Analysis of SEM and X-ray data revealed that whisker bridging in the crack wake and whisker pull-out mechanisms were the main mechanism for the R-curve behaviour.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.33 no.10
• /
• pp.3258-3264
• /
• 2012

Aluminum oxide ($Al_2O_3$) nanofibers were treated thermally under an ammonia ($NH_3$) gas stream balanced by nitrogen to form a thin aluminum nitride (AlN) layer on the nanofibers, resulting in the enhancement of thermal conductivity of $Al_2O_3$/epoxy nanocomposites. The micro-structural and morphological properties of the $NH_3$-assisted thermally-treated $Al_2O_3$ nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AEM), respectively. The surface characteristics and pore structures were observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Zeta-potential and $N_2$/77 K isothermal adsorptions. From the results, the formation of AlN on $Al_2O_3$ nanofibers was confirmed by XRD and XPS. The thermal conductivity (TC) of the modified $Al_2O_3$ nanofibers/epoxy composites increased with increasing treated temperatures. On the other hand, the severely treated $Al_2O_3$/epoxy composites showed a decrease in TC, resulting from a decrease in the probability of heat-transfer networks between the filler and matrix in this system due to the aggregation of nanofiber fillers.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.106-110
• /
• 2011

A high thermal conductive AlN composite coating is attractive in thermal management applications. In this study, AlN-YAG composite coatings were manufactured by atmospheric plasma spraying from two different powders: spray-dried and plasma-treated. The mixture of both AlN and YAG was first mechanically alloyed and then spray-dried to obtain an agglomerated powder. The spray-dried powder was primarily spherical in shape and composed of an agglomerate of primary particles. The decomposition of AlN was pronounced at elevated temperatures due to the porous nature of the spray-dried powder, and was completely eliminated in nitrogen environment. A highly spherical, dense AlN-YAG composite powder was synthesized by plasma alloying and spheroidization (PAS) in an inert gas environment. The AlN-YAG coatings consisted of irregular-shaped, crystalline AlN particles embedded in amorphous YAG phase, indicating solid deposition of AlN and liquid deposition of YAG. The PAS-processed powder produced a lower-porosity and higher-hardness AlN-YAG coating due to a greater degree of melting in the plasma jet, compared to that of the spray-dried powder. The amorphization of the YAG matrix was evidence of melting degree of feedstock powder in flight because a fully molten YAG droplet formed an amorphous phase during splat quenching.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
• /
• 1996.11a
• /
• pp.6-6
• /
• 1996

Ceramic based nanocomposite, in which nano-sized ceramics and metals were dispersed within matrix grains and/or at grain boundaries, were successfully fabricated in the ceramic/cerarnic and ceramic/metal composite systems such as $Al_2O_3$/SiC, $Al_2O_3$/$Si_3N_4$, MgO/SiC, mullite/SiC, $Si_3N_4/SiC, $Si_3N_4$/B, $Al_2O_3$/W, $Al_2O_3$/Mo, $Al_2O_3$/Ni and $ZrO_2$/Mo systems. In these systems, the ceramiclceramic composites were fabricated from homogeneously mixed powders, powders with thin coatings of the second phases and amorphous precursor composite powders by usual powder metallurgical methods. The ceramiclmetal nanocomposites were prepared by combination of H2 reduction of metal oxides in the early stage of sinterings and usual powder metallurgical processes. The transmission electron microscopic observation for the $Al_2O_3$/SiC nanocomposite indicated that the second phases less than 70nm were mainly located within matrix grains and the larger particles were dispersed at the grain boundaries. The similar observation was also identified for other cerarnic/ceramic and ceramiclmetal nanocornposites. The striking findings in these nanocomposites were that mechanical properties were significantly improved by the nano-sized dispersion from 5 to 10 vol% even at high temperatures. For example, the improvement in hcture strength by 2 to 5 times and in creep resistance by 2 to 4 orders was observed not only for the ceramidceramic nanocomposites but also for the ceramiclmetal nanocomposites with only 5~01%se cond phase. The newly developed silicon nitride/boron nitride nanocomposites, in which nano-sized hexagonal BN particulates with low Young's modulus and fracture strength were dispersed mainly within matrix grains, gave also the strong improvement in fracture strength and thermal shock fracture resistance. In presentation, the process-rnicro/nanostructure-properties relationship will be presented in detail. The special emphasis will be placed on the understanding of the roles of nano-sized dispersions on mechanical properties.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
• /
• 2001.05a
• /
• pp.38-41
• /
• 2001

A new 2-D braided textile metal matrix composite was developed and characterized. The constituent materials consist of PAN type carbon fiber as reinforcements and pure aluminum as matrices. The braided preforms of different braider yarn angles were fabricated. For a fixed bundle size of 12K, three braider yarn angles was selected: $30^{\circ}$, $45^{\circ}$, and $60^{\circ}$. The braided preforms were infiltrated with pure Al by vacuum assisted squeeze casting. Through the investigation of melt pressing methods and the effects of process parameters such as applied pressure, and pouring temperature, the optimal process conditions were identified as follows: applied pressure of 60MPa, pouring temperature of $800^{\circ}C$. Using the measured geometric parameters, 3-D engineering constants of metal matrix composites have been determined from the elastic model, which utilizes the coordinate transformation and the averaging of stiffened and compliance constants based upon the volume of each reinforcement and matrix material.