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.

This book covers several aspects of the synthesis of composites by the pressureless infiltration technique. It describes the methods used to obtain green preforms, such as cold pressed and hot sintering, describing the heating time, load, and time required for pressing the preforms. Additionally, wettability phenomena, which is directly related on infiltration, is extensively described. Wettability process and interfacial reactions are analyzed in many ceramic-metal systems prior to fabricate the composites. A complete description of fabrication processes for Metal Matrix Composites is included. An extensive section on structural, chemical, and mechanical characterization of composites fabricated with aluminum and magnesium alloys as matrices reinforced with titanium carbide (TiC), aluminum nitride (AlN), silicon carbide (SiC) and alumina (Al2O3) is included. Relevant techniques for joining composites, such as welding and brazing are addressed. As well as issues pertaining to the corrosion and wear of composites are discussed as well. Corrosion behavior of some composites exposed to aqueous media was analyzed. Corrosion of composites using TiC and SiC like reinforcement and Al, Ni, and some Al-Cux, Al-Mgx and Al-Cu-Li alloys like matrix is discussed extensively. The structural characterization techniques addressed include: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), optical microscopy (OM), differential thermal analysis (DTA), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). Mechanical testing including hardness, elastic modulus, tension tests, and impact tests were used in the characterization of composites. Theoretical models for prediction of some mechanical properties are included too.

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

Metal Matrix Composites: Thermomechanical Behavior discusses metal matrix composites, elaborating on that consists of two phases—fiber as reinforcement and metal as matrix. This book focuses on polymer matrix composites, including topics in metal matrix composites ranging from processing to fracture mechanics. The three basic types of composite materials—dispersion-strengthened, particle-reinforced, and fiber (whisker)-reinforced, are also described in detail. Dispersion-strengthened is characterized by a microstructure consisting of an elemental matrix within which fine particles are uniformly dispersed, while particle-reinforced is indicated by dispersed particles of greater than 1.0 μm diameter with a volume fraction of 5 to 40%. Fiber (whisker)-reinforced provides a distinguishing microstructural feature of fiber-reinforced materials, such as that the reinforcing fiber has one long dimension, while the reinforcing particles of the other two types do not. This publication serves as a reference data book to students and researchers aiming to acquire knowledge of the thermomechanical behavior of metal matrix composites.