Microstructural characteristics and mechanical behavior of B4Cp/6061Al composites synthesized at different hot-pressing temperatures

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2019.03.040

Abstract

Abstract:

B₄Cp/6061Al composites have become important structural and functional materials and can be fabricated by powder metallurgy and subsequent hot rolling. In this work, the effects of the hot-pressing temperature on microstructures and mechanical behaviors of the B₄Cp/6061Al composites were investigated. The results showed that compared with the T4 heat treated B₄Cp/6061Al composite hot pressed at 560 °C, the yield strength and failure strain of the composites hot pressed at 580 °C were increased to 235 MPa and 18.4%, respectively. This was associated with the interface bonding strength between the B₄C particles and the matrix. However, the reaction products, identified to be MgAl₂O₄ phases, were detected in the composites hot pressed at 600 °C. The formation of the MgAl₂O₄ phases resulted in the Mg depletion, thus reducing the yield strength to 203.5 MPa after the T4 heat treatment due to the effect of the solid solution strengthening being weakened. In addition, the variation of hardness and electrical conductivity was mainly related to the Mg content in the matrix. Based on the as-rolled microstructures observed by SEM, SR-μCT and fracture surfaces, the deformation schematic diagram was depicted to reflect the tensile deformation process of the composites.

Key words: B₄Cp/6061Al composite, Hot-pressing temperature, Microstructure, Mechanical behavior, Reaction product

Minqiang Gao, Zongning Chen, Huijun Kang, Enyu Guo, Rengeng Li, Ying Fu, Honglan Xie, Tongmin Wang. Microstructural characteristics and mechanical behavior of B₄Cp/6061Al composites synthesized at different hot-pressing temperatures[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2019, 35(8): 1523-1531.

Figures/Tables 13

Table 1 Chemical composition of 6061Al powders (wt%).

Element	Mg	Si	Fe	Cu	Mn	Zn	Al
Content	1.05	0.60	0.16	0.29	0.08	0.03	Bal.

Fig. 1. SEM images of as-received raw materials: (a) B4C particles; (b) 6061Al powders.

Fig. 2. (a) Schematic diagram of the vacuum hot-pressing sintering furnace; (b) as-rolled sheets of 10 wt% B4Cp/6061Al composites that were hot pressed at different temperatures.

Table 2 Density of the as-rolled B4Cp/6061Al composites hot pressed at different temperatures.

Sample condition	Measured density (g/cm³)	Theoretical density, (g/cm³)	Relative density (%)
560 °C hot-pressing	2.650	2.681	98.64
580 °C hot-pressing	2.676	2.681	99.70
600 °C hot-pressing	2.679	2.681	99.86

Fig. 3. OM micrographs showing the distribution of B4C particles in the composites with various hot-pressing temperatures: (a) 560 °C; (b) 580 °C; (c) 600 °C.

Fig. 4. Representative micrographs showing the primary micropores in the 10 wt% B4Cp/6061Al composites hot pressed at 560 °C: (a) micropore at the B4Cp/matrix interfaces; (b) fractured particle; (c) the gap between the particles. The size of the particles is $\widetilde{2}$-12 μm. (d-f) showing the microstructural characteristics in the reconstructed slices of the as-rolled 10 wt% B4Cp/6061Al composites hot pressed at 560 °C. The mean size of the particles is $\widetilde{8}$2 μm.

Fig. 5. TEM images of the as-rolled 10 wt% B4Cp/6061Al composites hot pressed at different temperatures: (a-c) 560 °C; (b) and (c) are the SAED patterns of the B4C particle and Al matrix in (a), respectively; (d) 580 °C; (e) 600 °C.

Fig. 6. TEM characterization of the reaction product in the B4Cp/6061Al composites fabricated at 600 °C: (a) reaction products near the B4Cp/matrix interfaces and the corresponding EDS elemental mapping in the area marked by the rectangle; (b) reaction products in the Al matrix; (c) and (d) EDS analysis and SAED pattern of the reaction products in the area indicated by the yellow circle, respectively. (e) HRTEM image of the MgAl2O4/Al interface; (f) (f) the corresponding indexed pattern of the square area in (e).

Fig. 7. Hardness and electrical conductivity in the 10 wt% B4Cp/6061Al composites subjected to T4 and T6 heat treatment at different hot-pressing temperatures.

Table 3 Mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the T4 heat treated 10 wt% B4Cp/6061Al composites hot pressed at different temperatures.

Sample condition	σ0.2 (MPa)	UTS (MPa)	Failure strain (%)	Hardness (HV)	Electrical conductivity (%IACS)
560 °C hot-pressing	194.1 ± 4.7	333.2 ± 3.6	12.5 ± 0.6	129.8 ± 1.5	34.48
580 °C hot-pressing	235.3 ± 3.2	368.4 ± 6.2	18.4 ± 1.4	127.7 ± 2.2	34.52
600 °C hot-pressing	203.5 ± 5.0	350.1 ± 5.1	21.3 ± 0.1	116.8 ± 1.9	35.10

Fig. 8. Representative tensile curves of the T4 heat treated 10 wt% B4Cp/6061Al composites hot pressed at different temperatures: (a) engineering stress-strain curves; (b) true stress-strain curves.

Fig. 9. Fracture surfaces of 10 wt% B4Cp/6061Al composites (T4 heat treated) hot pressed at different temperatures: (a) and (d) 560 °C; (b) and (e) 580 °C; (c) and (f) 600 °C.

Fig. 10. Schematic diagram showing the microstructural characteristic without applied load and the crack propagation during the tensile test in the T4 heat treated 10 wt% B4Cp/6061Al composites hot pressed at different temperatures: (a) and (d) 560 °C; (b) and (e) 580 °C; (c) and (f) 600 °C.

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Microstructural characteristics and mechanical behavior of B₄Cp/6061Al composites synthesized at different hot-pressing temperatures

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