The development of cost-effective and technologically advanced methods for the production of large-sized aluminum-based composite materials reinforced with quasicrystals is a pressing issue in modern materials science. Traditional methods for producing such composites typically include several stages associated with the separate production of reinforcing elements (quasicrystals), their subsequent mixing with an aluminum matrix, and consolidation of the resulting mixture. This complicates the process and increases its cost.
The proposed method of single-stage composite manufacturing is based on the use of spraying technology, which allows for the simultaneous formation of an aluminum matrix and the introduction of quasi-crystalline particles into it. During the spraying process, aluminum and elements forming the quasi-crystalline phase are simultaneously deposited on the substrate. In this case, the spraying parameters (substrate temperature, deposition rate, gas composition) are selected in such a way as to ensure the formation of quasi-crystals directly during the growth of the composite material.
Recent studies have shown that Al–Cu–Fe–Cr alloy of a certain proportion, obtained by arc melting with subsequent heat treatment, is prone to the formation of a microstructure where quasicrystalline and α-Al components predominate. In this paper, we present the possibility of creating a large-scale sample of this composite material directly from the molten state by spraying the AlCu6Fe3Cr6 alloy (in atomic percent).
In addition, both the sprayed powder and the arc melted sample were analyzed. The tribological performance of the quasicrystal-reinforced aluminum composite was evaluated using pin-on-disk testing. The results indicate its superiority over the Al–Si A380 alloy, which served as the reference material in this study.
The advantage of this method is the ability to produce composites with a uniform distribution of quasicrystals in an aluminum matrix and a high degree of adhesion between the components. In addition, the one-stage process significantly reduces the time and cost of production compared to traditional methods. The resulting composites have improved mechanical properties, such as increased strength, hardness and wear resistance, which makes them promising for use in various industries.
Author: Witor Wolf, Luiz Paulo M. e Silva, Guilherme Zepon, Claudio S. Kiminami, Claudemiro Bolfarini, Walter J. Botta
Institute: Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Avenida António Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil, Postgraduate Program in Metallurgy, 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 São Carlos, R. Washington Luis, km 235, São Carlos, São Paulo 13565-905, Brazil