Fabrication and Characterization of Plasma-Sprayed Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Aluminum Composites

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Fabrication and Characterization of Plasma-Sprayed CarbonFiber-Reinforced Aluminum Composites Jiang-tao Xiong1,2 • Hao Zhang1 • Yu Peng1 • Jing-long Li1 • Fu-sheng Zhang1

Submitted: 3 July 2017 / in revised form: 18 January 2018 Ó ASM International 2018

Abstract Carbon fiber (Cf)/Al specimens were fabricated by plasma-spraying aluminum powder on unidirectional carbon fiber bundles (CFBs) layer by layer, followed by a densification heat treatment process. The microstructure and chemical composition of the Cf/Al composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy and energydispersive spectrometry. The CFBs were completely enveloped by aluminum matrix, and the peripheral regions of the CFBs were wetted by aluminum. In the wetted region, no significant Al4C3 reaction layer was found at the interface between the carbon fibers and aluminum matrix. The mechanical properties of the Cf/Al specimens were evaluated. When the carbon fiber volume fraction (CFVF) was 9.2%, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the Cf/Al composites reached 138.3 MPa with elongation of 4.7%, 2.2 times the UTS of the Al matrix (i.e., 63 MPa). This strength ratio (between the UTS of Cf/Al and the Al matrix) is higher than for most Cf/Al composites fabricated by the commonly used method of liquid-based processing at the same CFVF level. Keywords aluminum  carbon fiber  mechanical property  metal-matrix composites  plasma spraying

& Jiang-tao Xiong [email protected] 1

Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Friction Welding Technologies, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, People’s Republic of China

2

State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, People’s Republic of China

Introduction Carbon fibers exhibit low density, high elastic modulus, high-temperature strength, and self-lubricating effects. Aluminum has excellent oxidation resistance, good processability, and high specific strength. Thus, composites fabricated using these constituents in a complementary manner, i.e., carbon-fiber-reinforced aluminum (Cf/Al) alloy composites, have been intensively studied during the past two decades (Ref 1, 2). Such composites show superior temperature resistance, strength, stiffness, light weight, thermal conductivity, and wear resistance compared with the corresponding aluminum alloy. These outstanding properties have attracted great attention in the aviation, aerospace, automobile, and electronics industries (Ref 1, 3, 4). However, there are still three challenges preventing development of fabrication of Cf/Al alloy composites. The first is control over the fast chemical reaction between the carbon fibers and Al alloy matrix. Although this reaction is necessary to obtain bonding of the fibers to the matrix, it tends to produce a harmful thick Al4C3 layer (Ref 2, 5-7). Al4C3 is hard and brittle, and a thick layer can result in too strong interfacial bonding that allows matrix cracks to penetrate fibers directly. The second is the poor wettability of molten alum

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