An Introduction To Metal Matrix Composites

Metal matrix composites constitute a new class of materials, now starting to make a major industrial impact in fields as diverse as aerospace, automotives and electronics. This book gives a comprehensive, integrated coverage of these materials, including the background to analytical-, experimental-, production and application-oriented aspects. Clear pictorial descriptions are given of the basic principles governing various properties and characteristics; these encompass mechanical, thermal, electrical, environmental and wear behaviour. Coverage also extends to material processing and component fabrication aspects and to a survey of commercial usage. This book is aimed primarily at scientists, engineers, production managers and all those involved in research on new materials in general, and metal matrix composites in particular, but may also be suitable for use as a text in beginning graduate and advanced undergraduate courses.

This book is the first of its kind to deal with fabrication processes of metal matrix composites (MMCs) theoretically, experimentally, systematically, and instructively. The theoretical bases of fabrication processes and recycling processes of MMCs are established in this volume. Most other books in the field are concerned with the mechanics of properties, which is not easy for readers to grasp, and they introduce fabrication processes only as techniques without theoretical discussion. Because this book provides a clear image of the fabrication processes of MMCs without using complicated mathematics, readers can use production theory to create new composites. Also, fundamental concepts of recycling of MMCs are given in this book for the first time so as to meet the demands for solving environmental problems. This work originally was published in Japanese and has attained a high reputation among Japanese professors and researchers in the field.

Metal matrix composites are making tangible inroads into the "real" world of engineering. They are used in engineering components such as brake rotors, aircraft parts, combustion engines, and heat sinks for electronic systems. Yet, outside a relatively limited circle of specialists, these materials are mostly unknown. Designers do not as a rule think of using these materials, in part because access to information is difficult as these materials have not really entered engineering handbooks. Metal Matrix Composites in Industry is thus useful to engineers who wish to gain introductory knowledge of these materials and who want to know where "to find" them. Additionally, it provides researchers and academics with a survey of current industrial activity in this area of technology.

In the last few years, a significant increase in applications of MMCs has taken place, particularly in the areas of automotive, aerospace, electronics, and recreation. These include continuous fiber reinforced MMCs for cables in power transmission, high temperature superconducting wires, particulate MMCs in civilian aircraft and automotive applications, and high volume fraction, high thermal conductivity substrates for electronic packaging. Nevertheless, as with any novel material systems, there is a lack of fundamental understanding on the part of practicing engineers and designers. This book would seek to address these issues, in a thorough and cohesive manner, as well as to provide students and scientists with a basic understanding of MMCs. This book will emphasize the synergistic relationships among processing, structure, and properties of metal matrix composites.

`Metal-Matrix Composites' are being used or considered for use in a variety of applications in the automotive, aerospace and sporting goods industries. This book contains sixteen chapters, all written by leading experts in the filed, which focus on the processing, microstructure and characterization, mechanics and micromechanics of deformation, mechanics and micromechanics of damage and fracture, and practical applications of a wide variety of metal composites. A particularly noteworthy feature of this authoritative volume is its collection of state-of-the-art reviews of the relationships among processing, microstructural evolution, micromechanics of deformation and overall mechanical response.

Metal Matrix Composites by Friction Stir Processing discusses the capabilities of utilizing friction stir processing (FSP) as a tool to manufacture new materials, such as composites. FSP is considered a tool for grain refinement. However, this work illustrates how FSP has a wider capability due to the material flow and mixing the process offers. This book highlights such aspects by demonstrating the ability of the process to incorporate a second phase and make metal matrix composites (MMCs). The book covers the current research on processing MMCs by FSP, and presents a novel approach of making ductile MMCs by FSP using metal particle reinforcements. Demonstrates how friction stir processing can be used to make metal matrix composites Includes a review of different approaches of making metal matrix composites by friction stir processing Demonstrates the utility of friction stir processing in making new types of non-equilibrium ductile composites Provides a comparison of properties of friction stir processed composites to those of conventional metal matrix composites

With contributions from leading experts in their respective fields, Metal and Ceramic Matrix Composites provides a comprehensive overview of topics on specific materials and trends. It is a subject regularly included as a final year option in materials science courses and is also of much industrial and academic interest. The book begins with a selection of chapters describing the most common commercial applications of composite materials, including those in the aerospace, automotive, and power generation industries. Section 2 outlines manufacturing and processing methods used in the production of composite materials ranging from basic aluminium matrix composites, through particle reinforced composites, to composites using novel matrix fibres such as titanium-silicon carbide and ceramics. Section 3 is devoted to the mechanical behaviour of different matrix materials and structure-property relations, with particular attention paid to failure and fracture mechanisms. The final section considers those new fibres and composite materials currently in development, including high strength copper composites, porous particle composites, active composites, and ceramic nanocomposites.