Toughening of aluminum matrix nanocomposites via spatial arrays of boron carbide spherical nanoparticles

In order to study the high-temperature flow stress of commercial purity aluminum (AA1070), isothermal hot compression tests were conducted at the deformation temperatures varying from 350 to 500 °C and strain rates ranging from 0.005 to 0.5 s−1. The results showed that the flow stress of AA1070 was evidently affected by both the deformation temperature and strain rate. The influence of strain was also incorporated in the constitutive equation by considering the effects of strain on material constants which are consist of β, α, n, A and activation energy Q. The predicted flow stress curves using the proposed constitutive equations well agree with the experimental results of the flow stress for AA1070.

Constitutive equations for elevated temperature flow behavior of commercial purity aluminum

Graphene nanosheet (GNS)/aluminum composites were fabricated via shift-speed ball milling (SSBM), consisting of a long-term low-speed ball milling (LSBM) and a short-term high-speed ball milling (HSBM). During the early stage of LSBM, Al powders were flattened into flakes, while the agglomerated GNSs were gradually dispersed onto Al flakes. After an inflection point of LSBM time, the dispersed GNSs got re-agglomerated and seriously damaged due to the accumulated work-hardening of Al flakes. During HSBM, the GNS/Al flakes were cold-welded into lamellar-structured particles, preserving the GNS dispersion states. It was demonstrated that the 0.5 vol.% GNS/Al composites via SSBM with 6 h LSBM had proper combination of ultrafine-grained Al matrices with well-preserved, uniformly-dispersed GNSs. Exceptional properties were achieved with a good ductility of 13.5% at a tensile strength of 295 MPa. Therefore, such flake powder metallurgy via SSBM proved to be a smart and effective fabrication strategy for nano-reinforced metal matrix composites.

Tailoring the structure and mechanical properties of graphene nanosheet/aluminum composites by flake powder metallurgy via shift-speed ball milling

The matrix grain size plays a dual role in metal matrix composites (MMCs). Contrary to enhance the strength of matrix, grain refinement can weaken the thermal expansion mismatch strengthening induced by the reinforcement. In this article, a dislocation density based model is developed to describe the factors affecting the strengthening mechanisms in Carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced MMCs with different matrix grain sizes. Two kinds of thermal expansion mismatch strengthening mechanisms are considered, i.e., geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) are distributed in entire matrix and GNDs are limited in dislocation punched zones (DPZs). In addition, comparisons between the predictions and some available experimental results are also performed.

Size dependent strengthening mechanisms in carbon nanotube reinforced metal matrix composites

Lightweighting in the transportation industry is today recognized as one of the most important strategies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce anthropogenic climate-changing, environment-damaging, and human death-causing emissions. However, the structural applications of lightweight alloys are often limited by some inherent deficiencies such as low stiffness, high wear rate and inferior strength. These properties could be effectively enhanced by the addition of stronger and stiffer reinforcements, especially nano-sized particles, into metal matrix to form composites. In most cases three common strengthening mechanisms (load-bearing effect, mismatch of coefficients of thermal expansion, and Orowan strengthening) have been considered to predict the yield strength of metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs). This study was aimed at developing a unified model by taking into account the matrix grain size and porosity (which is unavoidable in the materials processing such as casting and powder metallurgy) in the prediction of the yield strength of MMNCs. The Zener pinning effect of grain boundaries by the nano-sized particles has also been integrated. The model was validated using the experimental data of magnesium- and titanium-based nanocomposites containing different types of nano-sized particles (namely, Al2O3, Y2O3, and carbon nanotubes). The predicted results were observed to be in good agreement with the experimental data reported in the literature.

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A Unified Model for the Prediction of Yield Strength in Particulate-Reinforced Metal Matrix Nanocomposites.

An enhanced FEM model for particle size dependent flow strengthening and interface damage in particle reinforced metal matrix composites

Constitutive flow behavior and hot workability of the powder metallurgy processed 20 vol.%SiC(P)/2024Al composite were investigated using hot compression tests. The modified Arrhenius-type constitutive equations were presented with the values of material constants in consideration as a function of strain. Dynamic material model (DMM) and modified DMM were used to construct the power dissipation efficiency maps, and Ziegler's instability criterion and Gegel's stability criterion were used to build instability maps. The presence of finer SiC(P) and more boundaries resulting from smaller 2024Al powders shifted the dynamic recrystallization domain of the 2024Al matrix to higher strain rate and lower temperature ranges and decreased the peak value of power dissipation efficiency. Large instable regions were found in the form of flow localization and cavitations located at the matrix/SiC(P) interfaces and within the SiC(P) clusters. By comparison, the Gegel's stability criterion was more sensitive to the instability zones than the Ziegler's instability criterion for this material. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

J.C. Shao

Papers

An enhanced FEM model for particle size dependent flow strengthening and interface damage in particle reinforced metal matrix composites

Constitutive flow behavior and hot workability of powder metallurgy processed 20 vol.%SiCP/2024Al composite