DESIGN ASPECTS OF PROCESSING OF ALUMINUM-6061 BASED METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITES VIA POWDER-METALLURGY

Acceptance of metal matrix composites for industrial applications depends upon improving properties using an economic production route which includes the processing design. Two powder metallurgical routes have been used in the manufacture of Al 6061 metal matrix composites. The first involves blending, vacuum caning, and hot pressing from prealloyed powders and the second involves blending of elemental powders, liquid phase sintering, and subsequent hot rolling. These composites comprise 7.5 or 15 vol.-% of 7, 23, or 45 mu m SiC particles. In this paper, the composite microstructure at each stage of the different processing routes has been examined and the aging behaviour investigated. Effects on the tensile properties of fabrication techniques, SiC particle size, and volume fraction are presented and discussed. (C) 1994 The Institute of Materials.