In modern materials science, there is a steady interest in the development and application of composite materials with improved characteristics. A special place is occupied by aluminum composites reinforced with quasicrystals, due to their unique combination of lightness, high strength and wear resistance.
One of the promising areas is the single-stage production of large-sized products using the spraying method. This approach allows for the formation of complex geometric shapes with high precision and control over the distribution of reinforcing quasi-crystalline particles in the aluminum matrix.
The spraying process involves the simultaneous feeding of molten aluminum and quasi-crystalline powders onto the substrate. An important aspect is the optimization of spraying parameters, such as substrate temperature, material feed rate, and chamber pressure, to ensure high-quality adhesion between components and prevent defects.
The resulting composites demonstrate increased hardness, improved mechanical properties and corrosion resistance compared to pure aluminum. This opens up broad prospects for their use in the aviation, automotive and space industries, where a combination of high strength and low weight is required.
Recent studies have shown that the Al–Cu–Fe–Cr alloy, under certain conditions, namely arc melting followed by thermal annealing, is capable of forming a microstructure based on quasicrystalline and α-Al phases. In this paper, we present results demonstrating the possibility of directly producing large-sized composite material from a melt by sputtering the AlCu6Fe3Cr6 alloy (in atomic percent).
Both the atomized powder and the arc melted sample were analyzed. The tribological properties of the quasicrystal-reinforced aluminum composite were evaluated using pin-on-disk tests. The results showed that the developed composite exhibited higher wear resistance than the Al-Si A380 alloy, which was used as a reference material.
Author: Witor Wolf, Luiz Paulo M. e Silva, Guilherme Zepon, Claudio S. Kiminami, Claudemiro Bolfarini, Walter J. Botta
Institute: Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Avenida António Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil, Postgraduate Program in Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science and Mining, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Avenida António Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil, Department of Materials Science, Federal University of Sao Carlos, Road Washington Luis, km 235, Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo 13565-905, Brazil