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Synergistic strengthening of Al matrix composites by in situ pyrolysis of C and precipitation of nanophases

  • Composites & nanocomposites
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Abstract

Owing to inadequate interface contact between carbon and aluminum, enhancing the Al/C interface is crucial for the fabrication of high-performance Al matrix composites. This study selected polyvinyl butyral (PVB) with excellent dispersion properties as the carbon source, simultaneously introducing silver to achieve synergistic reinforcement between silver and carbon in Al matrix composites, offering a novel reinforcement approach for Al matrix composites. The Al–16Ag–C composite is fabricated through the in situ pyrolysis of PVB followed by hot-pressing sintering. Subsequently, the effect of temperature on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the composite is investigated. Microstructural characterization demonstrates the formation of two alloy phases, namely Ag2Al and Al4C3, within the Al–16Ag–C composite. The alloy phases, distributed at the grain boundaries, enhance the material’s strength by impeding dislocation motion, increasing dislocation density within the matrix, and limiting grain growth. The Al–16Ag–C composite, sintered at 630 °C, exhibits a remarkable ultimate tensile strength of 481 MPa and an elongation of 16.84%, representing a significant enhancement compared to pure Al.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China [2021YFB3802300], the Guangdong Major Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research [2021B0301030001], the Independent Innovation Projects of the Hubei Longzhong Laboratory [2022ZZ-33], and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 52104363].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Junguo Li, Xuebin Yang, Peibo Li, Yang Zhang, Guoqiang Luo, Qiang Shen & Yi Sun

  2. Chaozhou Branch of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Chaozhou, 521000, China

    Guoqiang Luo

  3. Hubei Longzhong Laboratory, **angyang, 441000, Hubei, China

    Yi Sun

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  1. Junguo Li
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Contributions

Junguo Li was involved in conceptualization and methodology. Xuebin Yang participated in data curation, writing—original draft preparation, and formal analysis. Peibo Li participated in data curation and writing—reviewing and editing. Yang Zhang was involved in data curation. Guoqiang Luo helped with resources. Qiang Shen helped with funding acquisition and resources. Yi Sun was involved in methodology, writing, and review.

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Correspondence to Yi Sun.

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Li, J., Yang, X., Li, P. et al. Synergistic strengthening of Al matrix composites by in situ pyrolysis of C and precipitation of nanophases. J Mater Sci 59, 6792–6806 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-024-09633-1

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