ASM Handbook, Volume 7: Powder Metal Technologies and Applications Copyright © 1998 ASM International® P.W. Lee, Y. Trudel, R. Iacocca, R.M. German, B.L. Ferguson, W.B. Eisen, K. Moyer, All rights reserved. D. Madan, and H. Sanderow, editors, p 840-858 www.asminternational.org DOI: 10.1361/asmhba0001577 Advanced Aluminum Powder Metallurgy Alloys and Composites Ram B. Bhagat, The Pennsylvania State University POWDER METALLURGICAL PROCESS- bide whisker, however, is currently the most Selection of suitable composition of the ma- ING provides much finer and homogeneous widely utilized reinforcement for the DRA com- trix material is important to meet mechanical and microstructure, better mechanical properties, posites for obtaining high resistance to creep and physical property requirements of the aluminum- and near-net shape parts producibility for alumi- higher use temperatures. Early work on whisker matrix composites. Minor alloying additions in num alloys in comparison with ingot metallurgy reinforcement started in the 1960s. Brenner (Ref the wrought alloys are generally detrimental to (I/M). In addition to the conventional blending 7, 8) and Sutton (Ref 9, 10) used tx-Al203 the mechanical properties of the composites be- and consolidation of elemental or prealloyed whiskers to fabricate metal-matrix composites cause of undesirable interfacial reaction (Ref powders into near-net shape parts, emerging (MMCs). These early composites were not at- 26-28) during the P/M consolidation. The P/M processes such as mechanical alloying and rapid tractive because of their relatively low strength route for producing the discontinuously rein- solidification (RS) create composite powders and the high cost of the whisker. Later Divecha forced composites involves blending elemental that upon subsequent consolidation provide sig- et al. (Ref 11) used SiC whiskers to fabricate or prealloyed powder with the reinforcement, nificant improvements in room and elevated- aluminum-matrix composites with good me- followed by canning, vacuum degassing, and temperature strength, fracture toughness, fatigue chanical properties. In 1973, Curler (Ref 12) in- some form of consolidation, such as hot pressing life, and corrosion resistance. The real advantage troduced his patented process of inexpensively or hot isostatic pressing (HIP), into a billet that of P/M processing including spray forming is in producing SiC whiskers from pyrolized rice is subsequently rolled, forged, or extruded into the production of new alloys and composites hulls. This renewed the interest in the develop- shapes. During the billet consolidation, however, with metallurgical structures and compositions ment of whisker-reinforced MMCs (Ref 13-16). the matrix alloy may experience incipient melt- that cannot be produced by I/M. Rapid solidifi- There have been concerns in handling fme par- ing, creating both large insoluble and excess sol- cation extends the solubility of alloying ele- ticulates and whiskers because of health risks. uble intermetallics, which form upon resolidifi- ments, particularly transition and rare earth ele- For pathogenic reasons such as mesothelioma cation of aluminum alloy matrix. These particles ments, and refines the structure of intermetallic induction and fibrogenic and lung cancer poten- are deleterious to the fracture toughness and phases responsible for improved mechanical ductility of the DRA. This has led to the recent tial, it has been found that it is the size and shape properties. Mechanical alloying is a dry, high- development of the leaner variants of the 2xxx of any given particle that causes problems, as energy milling process producing dispersions of and 6xxx series aluminum alloys (e.g., 2009 and well as its chemistry (Ref 17, 18). Hence it is insoluble oxides and carbides that stabilize the 6090), which contain strengthening elements in advisable to use particulate with diameters microstructure leading to high strength at ele- concentrations no greater than their mutual solu- greater than 5 ~tm and to avoid contact with vated temperatures in the consolidated materials. bilities, thereby leading to useful ductility and By blending the alloy powder with a strengthen- fibers or whiskers in the range 0.1 to 3 ~tm, with fracture toughness in the composites (Ref 29- lengths greater than 5 Ixm. There has been only a ing phase, discontinuously reinforced aluminum- 31). It is important to note, therefore, that the matrix composites containing insoluble disper- limited interest in whiskers other than SiC for compositional and microstructural requirements soids (oxides and carbides), particulates, whiskers, fabricating MMCs. Recently Imai, Nishida, and are different for dispersion-strengthened alloys or fibers are produced for high-performance struc- Tozawa (Ref 19) evaluated the mechanical prop- and particle or whisker-reinforced aluminum com- tural applications (Ref 1-6). Table 1 includes the erties of aluminum-matrix composites with posites. chemical composition of aluminum P/M alloys Si3N4 whisker. The composites, fabricated by In addition to fabricating shaped structures, and dispersion-strengthened composites. P/M hot pressing and subsequently extruded, deformation processing (extrusion, forging, or Aluminum-matrix composites with reinforce- showed good mechanical properties. Limited rolling) of the consolidated composites develops ment of particulates, whiskers, or chopped fibers work has been reported on continuous-fiber- the best properties attainable by breaking up any have been widely studied worldwide. They are reinforced aluminum composites fabricated by preexisting oxide on the alloyed powder. Extru- generally isotropic and less costly in comparison P/M processing. Bhagat and coworkers (Ref 20- sion of whisker-reinforced composites leads to with continuous-fiber-reinforced aluminum-matrix 25) fabricated stainless steel wire (type 304) re- an approximate alignment of the whiskers in the composites. The discontinuously reinforced alu- inforced aluminum-matrix composites by hot extrusion direction. Production of useful shapes minum (DRA) composites are attractive for pressing (800 K, 155 MPa, and 60 s). The com- requires, at least to some extent, secondary proc- near-term commercial applications. Silicon car- posites showed attractive mechanical properties essing such as machining and joining, which are bide (SIC) or alumina-particle-reinforced alumi- including high fracture toughness and fatigue not well established for the composites. Conven- num composites have higher stiffness and, in life. These composites are suitable for structural tional machining of composites is very difficult general, high wear resistance in comparison with applications requiring high fracture toughness because of the high hardness of the ceramic rein- the unreinforced aluminum alloys. Silicon car- and high resistance to impact damage. forcement. Expensive diamond or cubic boron Advanced Aluminum Powder Metallurgy Alloys and Composites / 841 nitride cutting tools are needed for effective ma- challenges such as reproducibility/reliability, bution of the reinforcement in the matrix. Im- chining. The high-cost conventional machining machining, joining, and recycling that need to be proper blending leads to an inhomogeneous dis- of MMCs can be eliminated by near-net shape addressed. tribution of the reinforcement in the fmal prod- manufacturing or by noncontact machining tech- uct. The solvent is removed by drying the niques such as laser processing (Ref 32) and powder mixture in air. As an example, the pow- abrasive waterjet cutting (Ref 33). Large-scale Conventional Consolidation der mixture of 2124 AI and SiC particulates can commercialization of the aluminum P/M alloys be heated at 150 °C to remove n-butanol from and composites is still small (compared to For wrought aluminum P/M alloys such as the blend (Ref 34). The mixture is cold com- wrought and cast aluminum alloys), although 60lAB and 20lAB (see Table 1), prealloyed alu- pacted in a die using a hydraulic press. Car- new applications are emerging (see "Applica- minum powders are cold isostatically pressed bowax and stearic acid are suitable lubricants for tions Outlook" in this article). Notwithstanding into green compacts, degassed, and sintered in the die wall to prevent wear. Level of densifica- the high cost that remains a major concern for nitrogen atmosphere; sintering in dissociated tion is critical to provide some green strength for their use, there are other major technological ammonia or vacuum leads to relatively inferior handling and yet leave behind an open intercon- mechanical properties. The cold compaction, de- necting pore structure so as not to hinder degass- gassing and sintering are done typically at 400 Table I Chemical composition of ing. Both the physically absorbed and chemi- MPa, 450 °C, and 600 °C, respectively (Ref 1). cally combined water on the matrix alloy powder aluminum P/M alloys including The as-sintered products are usually not fully dispersion-strengthened composites particles are liberated in the form of water vapor dense and have relatively low strengths. They during the degassing. If the degassing is incom- Alloydesignation Composition require heat treatment and deformation process- plete, the postcompaction thermal exposure can ing (rolling, extrusion, or forging) for improved AI-C AI-3.0C give rise to hydrogen evolution due to reaction properties (see Table 2). Dispal 2 A1-2.0C-1.00 between the water vapor and aluminum. This For full densification, powder particles