Al2O3p/high-manganese steel-matrix composites were successfully fabricated by gravity casting infiltration, with iron powder added in the preforms to adjust the Al2O3p fraction. The effects of the iron powder content (38, 48, and 55 wt.%) on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. With the increase in the iron powder content in the preform, the Al2O3p fraction decreased (57–38 vol.%), while the hardness and compressive strength of the composite gradually increased. The highest compressive strength was 1000.3 MPa (55-wt.% iron powder). The highest work hardening rate (55-wt.% iron powder) well reflected the synergistic effect between the matrix and reinforcement to prevent dislocation movement. The water glass binder formed thick interface layers between Al2O3p and matrix, which transformed the Al2O3/metal interface bonding from mechanical bonding to metallurgical bonding. A too thick interface layer deteriorated the mechanical properties of the composites.
In this paper, the interfacial adhesion work (Wad), tensile strength, and electronic states of the Fe-amorphous Na2SiO3-Al2O3 and Fe-Al2O3 interfaces are well-investigated, utilizing the first-principles calculations. The results indicate that the Fe-amorphous Na2SiO3-Al2O3 interface is more stable and wettable than the interface of Fe-Al2O3. Specifically, the interfacial adhesion work of the Fe-amorphous Na2SiO3 interface is 434.89 J/m2, which is about forty times that of the Fe-Al2O3 interface, implying that the addition of amorphous Na2SiO3 promotes the dispersion of Al2O3 particle-reinforced. As anticipated, the tensile stress of the Fe-amorphous Na2SiO3-Al2O3 interface is about 46.58 GPa over the entire critical strain range, which is significantly greater than the Fe-Al2O3 interface control group. It could be inferred that the wear resistance of Al2O3 particle-reinforced is improved by adding amorphous Na2SiO3. To explain the electronic origin of this excellent performance, the charge density and density of states are investigated and the results indicate that the O atom in amorphous Na2SiO3 has a bonding action with Fe and Al; the amorphous Na2SiO3 acts as a sustained release. This study provides new ideas for particle-reinforced composites.
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