COMPOSITE MATERIALS
& TECHNOLOGY
METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE
PROCESSING
METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE PROCESSING
Following are the three categories of processing.
[Link] state
Diffusion bonding
Powder metallurgy
2. Liquid state
3. In situ
DIFFUSION BONDING
DIFFUSION BONDING
It is an expensive process generally limited to
simple shapes such as tubes and plates.
The temperature of solid state processing is lower
than that of liquid state processing.
Ex: Titanium, Nickel, Copper and particularly
aluminium reinforced with boron fibers.
Advantages:
Ability to process a wide variety of metal matrices
Control of fiber orientation and volume fraction.
Disadvantages:
Long processing time
High processing temperatures and pressures (which
makes the process expensive)
Limitation on the complexity of shapes that can be
produced
POWDER METALLURGY
It is a manufacturing process in which components
are directly made by bringing a powder of starting
material into final desired shape by compressing the
powder in dies, can produce as well as high density
parts.
The Powder metallurgy is especially suited for the
production of discontinuous fiber, whiskers or
particulate reinforced metals
The powder metallurgy process has been used to
produce composites such as:
Boron, carbon and
Borsic fibers with aluminium alloy,
SiC fibers with chromium alloys,
Boron and Al2O3 fibers with titanium alloy, tungsten
Molybdenum fibers with nickel alloy and several
other composite systems
MANUFACTURING STEPS
VERTICAL ATOMIZATION
Representative Metal Powders: (a) Chemical; Sponge Iron-Reduced Ore; (b)
Electolytic: Copper; (c) Mechanical: Milled Aluminum Powder Containing
Disperoids ; (d) Water Atomization : Iron; (e) Gas Atomization: Nickel-Base
Hardfacing Alloy
ADVANTAGES
Extremely good surface finish at very low additional cost
after sizing and coining.
Cleaner ,Quieter operations and longer life of the
components.
Lack of voids, gas pockets, porosity, blowholes &
various inclusions common in casting.
Control of grain size, relatively much uniform structure.
Improved physical and structural properties.
Ability to offer complex shape.
Elimination of numerous machining operations.
Possibility of producing new materials by mixing.
different materials and obtain improved properties.
LIMITATIONS
Difficult to get extremely pure powders
Porous materials are liable to oxidize
Process pure plastic properties
High investment
Shape and size limitations due to absence of plastic
flow, friction in powders, mechanical limitations of
dies and tools.
AREAS WHERE POWDER METALLURGY PRODUCTS
ARE USED EXTENSIVELY
Aerospace application
Recreational equipment
Hand tools
Hardware items
Business machines
Industrial motors
Hydraulics
Home appliances
AREAS OF RAPID GROWTH
Aerospace applications
Advanced composites
Electronic components
Magnetic materials
Metalworking tools
A variety of biomedical and dental applications