Preparation of Metal Matrix Aluminum Alloys Composites Reinforced by Silicon Nitride and Aluminum Nitride through Powder Metallurgy Techniques

Abstract:

The aliminium alloys are of particular interest to both the aerospace industry and automotive industry because of their attractive combinations of properties such as medium strength, formability, weldability, corrosion resistance and low cost. Compared with a metal matrix material, significant improvements in the mechanical and physical properties such as strength, toughness, and thermal conductivity can be achievied in metal matrix composites (MMCs). In this work of investigation aluminium alloy AA6061 was reinforced by 5, 10 and 15% (in mass %) of Si₃N₄ (silicon nitride) and AlN (aluminium nitride) by mechanical alloying in a vibratory type SPEX mill, cold uniaxial compaction and vacuum sitering in order to investigate the influence of the particulate phase in the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites obtained. The microstructure of the powders and the sintered materials were evaluated by means of SEM and the hardness and were evaluated by hardness test.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volumes 727-728)
• Pages: 259-262
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.727-728.259
• Online since: August 2012
• Authors: Everthon Rodrigues de Araujo, Marcio Marcelo Sampaio de Souza, Francisco Ambrozio Filho, Cezar Henrique Gonzalez, Oscar Olimpio de Araújo Filho
• Keywords: AA6061 Aluminum Alloy Metal Matrix Composites, Mechanical Alloying, Powder metallurgy, Vacuum Sintering

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