Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Mg-5Nb Metal-Metal Composite Reinforced with Nano SiC Ceramic Particles

Abstract

Abstract:In this work, a Mg-5Nb metal-metal composite was reinforced with nano SiC (SiC n ) ceramic reinforcement of varying volume fractions, using the disintegrated melt deposition technique. The extruded Mg-5Nb-SiC n composites were characterized for their microstructure and mechanical properties. Based on the results obtained, it was observed that the volume fraction of nano-SiC reinforcement played an important role in determining the grain size and improving the mechanical properties. A comparison of properties with those of pure Mg and Mg-5Nb composite showed that while the improvement in hardness occurred at all volume fractions, a minimum volume fraction of ~0.27% SiC n was required to increase the tensile and compressive strengths. The observed mechanical response of the composites were investigated in terms of the effect of SiC n volume fraction, processing, distribution of metallic and ceramic reinforcements and the inherent properties of the matrix and reinforcements. The influences of these factors on the mechanical behavior of the composites are understood based on the structure-property relationship.

Utilizing Iron as Reinforcement to Enhance Ambient Mechanical Response and Impression Creep Response of Magnesium

“…However, in Mg-10 Fe and Mg-15 Fe composites, Fe particles were found to be clustered (Figure 4c,d). The clustering of reinforcement particles in metal-metal composites has been observed earlier [6][7][8][9]. In the present work, the clustering of Fe particles in the Mg matrix (i) indicates that beyond a certain limit of Fe addition (in the present case 5%), agglomeration occurs due to the low solubility of Fe in Mg; (ii) leads to an increase in the porosity level (cluster-associated porosity due to inefficient packing of Fe particles, Table 1); and (iii) does not effectively enable grain nucleation and, thereby, the relatively larger grain sizes seen in Mg-10 Fe and Mg-15 Fe when compared to Mg-5Fe (Table 1).…”

“…Al, Zn, Zr, Mn, and rare earth metals are the elements commonly used for alloying Mg. To make Mg composites, usually ceramic particles (micron to nano-scale sizes) such as alumina, silicon carbide, boron carbide, boron nitride, and carbonaceous materials (e.g., carbon nanotubes and graphene) are incorporated as reinforcement to Mg matrices [3,4]. To achieve both high strength and ductility, metals that are strong, are stiff, and have a high melting point (e.g., Ti, Mo, Fe, Cr, and Nb) are potential reinforcements to make Mg-based composites, due in part to their limited solubility or no solid solubility with magnesium [5][6][7][8][9][10]. For example, incorporation of titanium in pure Mg to form Mg-5.6Ti improves tensile strength and ductility by 60% and 50% [5,6].…”

“…For example, incorporation of titanium in pure Mg to form Mg-5.6Ti improves tensile strength and ductility by 60% and 50% [5,6]. The addition of niobium and molybdenum to pure Mg has shown similar properties of improvement [6][7][8][9]. Sintered Mg-Ti composites have shown retention of their mechanical properties even at high temperatures [10].…”

“…In this work, Mg-Fe metal-metal composites (Fe = 5, 10, and 15 wt.%) were synthesized by the disintegrated melt deposition technique and investigated for their microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties. A discussion on the performance of the composite that showed the best properties with those of Mg metal-metal composites containing other metallic elements such as titanium, niobium, and molybdenum [5][6][7][8][9] is also presented.…”

Refined Microstructure and Enhanced Hardness in Friction Stir-Welded AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Induced by Heat Pipe with Different Cooling Liquid

“…Therefore, Mg alloys are widely used in the automobile and aircraft industries, especially the Mg-Al-Zn alloys (AZ series). Among them, AZ31 Mg alloys have become among the promising non-ferrous metal materials used in these fields due to the high room temperature strength and resistance to atmospheric corrosion [7,8]. With the increasing applications of Mg alloys in auto parts manufacturing, the welding of different components has gradually attracted people's attention.…”