Enhancing High-Temperature Strength and Thermal Stability of Al2O3/Al Composites by High-Temperature Pre-treatment of Ultrafine Al Powders

doi:10.1007/s40195-020-01038-8

Abstract

Abstract:

Amorphous Al₂O₃-reinforced Al composite (am-Al₂O₃/Al) compacted from ultrafine Al powders for high-temperature usages confronts with drawbacks because crystallization of am-Al₂O₃ at high temperatures will result in serious strength loss. Aiming at this unsolved problem, in this study, high-temperature Al materials with enhanced thermal stability were developed through introducing more thermally stable nano-sized particles via high-temperature pre-treatment of ultrafine Al powders. It was found that the pre-treatment at ≤ 550 °C could introduce a few Al₂O₃ in the Al matrix and increase the strength of the composites, but the strength was still below that of am-Al₂O₃/Al because without being pinned firmly, grain boundaries (GBs) were softened at high temperature and intergranular fracture happened. When the pre-treatment was carried out at 600 °C, nitridation and oxidation processes happened simultaneously, producing large numbers of intergranular (AlN + γ-Al₂O₃) particles. GB sliding and intergranular fracture were suppressed; therefore, higher strength than that of am-Al₂O₃/Al was realized. Furthermore, the (AlN + γ-Al₂O₃)/Al exhibited more superior thermal stability compared to am-Al₂O₃/Al for annealing treatment at 580 °C for 8 h. Therefore, an effective way to fabricate high-temperature Al composite with enhanced thermal stability was developed in this study.

Key words: Aluminum matrix composites, Particles, High-temperature strength, Thermal stability

Yu-Ning Zan, Yang-Tao Zhou, Xiao-Nan Li, Guo-Nan Ma, Zhen-Yu Liu, Quan-Zhao Wang, Dong Wang, Bo-Lv Xiao, Zong-Yi Ma. Enhancing High-Temperature Strength and Thermal Stability of Al₂O₃/Al Composites by High-Temperature Pre-treatment of Ultrafine Al Powders[J]. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters), 2020, 33(7): 913-921.

Figures/Tables 12

Fig. 1 SEM image of ultrafine Al powders used in this study

Table 1 Fabrication processes of the composites

Sample	Pre-treatment temperature (°C)	Hot-pressing temperature (°C)	Hot-pressing pressure (MPa)
400	400	630	50
500	500	630	50
550	550	630	50
600	600	630	50
AM	None	450	200

Fig. 2 XRD patterns of the composites

Fig. 3 TEM images showing microstructure (a) and GB-distributed γ-Al2O3 (b) in sample 500

Fig. 4 TEM images showing grain structure a, GB-distributed nano-sized particles b, c, and HRTEM d of AlN particles in sample 600

Fig. 5 TEM images showing microstructure a and GB-distributed am-Al2O3 (white arrows) b in sample AM

Fig. 6 Tensile engineering stress-strain curves for various composites at RT a and 350 °C b

Table 2 Tensile properties of the composites at RT and 350 °C

Sample	RT			350 °C
Sample	YS (MPa)	UTS (MPa)	El (%)	YS (MPa)	UTS (MPa)	El (%)
400	138 ± 3	154 ± 3	33 ± 6	39 ± 2	54 ± 1	37 ± 4
500	166 ± 4	188 ± 2	21 ± 3	48 ± 1	64 ± 2	25 ± 3
550	186 ± 4	203 ± 3	14 ± 4	61 ± 1	75 ± 2	15 ± 3
600	224 ± 3	268 ± 4	10 ± 4	113 ± 6	121 ± 1	6 ± 1
AM	197 ± 2	221 ± 2	21 ± 5	105 ± 4	117 ± 3	13 ± 2

Fig. 7 SEM fractographs of samples 400 a, b, 500 c, d and 600 e, f at RT with different magnifications

Fig. 8 SEM fractographs of samples 400 a, b, 500 c, d and 600 e, f at 350 °C with different magnifications

Fig. 9 Variation of tensile strength at 350 °C with annealing time for sample AM annealed at 520 °C, 550 °C and 580 °C, and sample 600 annealed at 580 °C

Fig. 10 TEM images showing grain structure a and γ-Al2O3b in sample AM-annealed at 580 °C for 2 h

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Enhancing High-Temperature Strength and Thermal Stability of Al₂O₃/Al Composites by High-Temperature Pre-treatment of Ultrafine Al Powders

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