Material Seminar Series

Over the past two decades, the greatest development and progress in Materials Science and engineering research have resulted into a new generation of materials. These types of materials are called composites and contain materials of at least two different classes. There are three types of composites: Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs), Polymer Matrix Composite (PMCs), and Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs).

Composites have been developed with greater success by the use of fiber reinforcements in metallic materials. Fiber reinforced metal matrixes possess great potential to be the next generation of advanced composites offering many advantages compared to fiber reinforced polymers, Specific advantages include high temperature capability, superior environment stability, better transvers modules, shear and fatigue properties. Although many Metal Matrices Composites (MMCs) are attractive for use in different industrial applications, Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMCs) are the most used in advanced applications because they combine acceptable strength, low density, durability, machinability, availability, effectiveness and cost.

The present study focuses on the fabrication of Aluminum Matrix Composite (AMCs) plates by squeeze casting using plain weave carbon fiber pre-form (AS4 Hexcel) as reinforcement and a matrix of wrought Aluminum alloy 1235-H19. The objective is to investigate the process feasibility and resulting materials properties such as hardness at macro- and micro-scale, impact and bending strength. The properties obtained are compared with those of 6061/1235-H19 Aluminum plates that were manufactured under the same fabrication process. The effect of fiber volume fraction on the properties is also investigated. Furthermore, the characterization of the microstructure is done using optical (OM) microscope and scanning electron (SEM) microscopes in order to establish relationships between the quality of the fiber/Aluminum interface bond and the composites mechanical properties.