Manufacture and mechanical properties of saffil-reinforced aluminium alloys

• Published in: Composites. Part B, Engineering Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Scott, V.D, O’Rourke, J.M, Bushby, R.S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: A. fibres; Applied sciences; B. Mechanical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Fibre reinforced metals; Heat treatment; Metals. Metallurgy; Powder metallurgy. Composite materials; Production techniques; A. fibres; Heat treatment; B. Mechanical properties; Aluminium base alloys; Fibre reinforced metal; Mechanical properties; Tensile property; Composite material; Liquid metal; Silver alloy; Infiltration; Fracture surface; Manufacturing; Elastic properties; Microstructure; Alumina; Copper alloy
• ISSN: 1359-8368; 1879-1069
• DOI: 10.1016/S1359-8368(98)00048-1

Composites based upon Al–Cu–Mg–Ag alloys reinforced with Saffil fibre have been manufactured and tested. A good fibre/matrix bond was established during composite processing, as evinced by the match between dynamic modulus measurements and ‘rule of mixtures’ calculations. It was also shown that the fibre and preform binder reacted with magnesium and changed the mode of matrix precipitation, suppressing the Ω phase which characterises heat-treated Al–Cu–Mg–Ag alloys in favour of the
θ′ phase found in binary Al–Cu alloys. The composites exhibited continuous yielding from the start of a tensile test owing to the way that fibre orientation influenced localised residual stress and yielding of the matrix. Proof stress was enhanced by heat treatment although tensile strength appeared to be deleteriously affected by the presence of reacted preform binder.