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In-situ processing of aluminium - matrix composites

Objective


Results and conclusions, anticipated benefits

Summary of the achievements after finishing of the project
Better scientific understanding of the basic process has lead to improvements in
Homogeneity of particle distribution,
Substantial reduction of porosity,
Ways to increase the particle volume content needed for increase of mechanical properties;

Laboratory scale fabrication of AI alloys with substantially increased particle volume content through gap stirring facility;

Pilot scale production of tonnage quantities for further processing and tests, each with 8 wt.% TiB2:
-A 356, cast alloy
-AA 7075 wrought alloy,
-AA 2618 wrought alloy;

Successful remelting and DC casting to bars, extrusion and heat treatment, thixocasting (A 356), for determination of properties;

Determination of mechanical and physical properties - accompanied by metallographic characterisation to understand relations between microstructure and properties;

Prototype parts (Conrad, seat track, helicopter blade sleeve) tested;

Necessary issues for further process improvement identified;

First estimation on the exploitation potential of the new material.

Anticipated benefits

The ISPRAM project may yield a significant contribution to improve the future European competitiveness in the field of AI-MMCs. All possible applications for AI-MMCs so far are based on Canada, Japanese, or US inventions, whereas this project represents a complete and exclusive European development. The main benefits are supposed to follow from cheaper and improved materials and parts that, finally, could penetrate even in markets of the consumer goods industries on the long term.
The obtained results clearly indicate the material's promising capabilities and applications , but for aerospace industry, in particular, the improvement of the material achieved so far is still not sufficient to meet the high requirements for structural parts. Thus, a further process improvement, in particular clearness of the material and further increase of reinforcement volume percentage, will be the key issue to reach the aerospace requirements.
It is worth mentioning that American and Japanese industries are testing AI-MMC components in the drive to reduce weight. It is therefore important that European car producers learn to use these materials in order not to fall behind in future developments.

Objectives and content

It is proposed to develop a new route for casting of aluminium-based particle reinforced-matrix composites (MMC) for fabrication of parts and components with improved performance. The presently available materials are difficult to process or too expensive to provide the homogeneous distribution of small, inert particles necessary for the required increase of stiffness, wear resistance and fracture toughness. Applications of the material, fabricated to profiles and parts are anticipated not only for use in aerospace but, because of its low cost, in the automotive and industrial-equipment industries.

The approach is realized by a novel "in-situ" process in which the particles are formed by a chemical reaction within the metallic melt so that the necessary wettability of the micro-sized particles is automatically achieved. The process will be developed and optimized to allow for optimum in-service behaviour of parts, fabricated after different forming procedures such as thixo-forming, forging, die-casting, etc.
The project will be carried out by interrelated and iterative efforts within the following R&D tasks:

- basic investigation on thermodynamics of systems and kinetics of particles in the melt, important for the understanding of materials science and development of the MMC alloys,
- elaboration of process fundamentals including laboratory scale experiments for development and optimization of the in-situ process, - study of the materials properties to allow for identification of optimum parameters to be evaluated for the process,
- upscaling of the lab-process by processing of master alloys in 50kg ingot/pilot plant,
- fabrication of simple profiles by hot extrusion suitable for characterization of relevant properties,
- definition of demonstration parts and fabrication after different shaping processes to semifinished products,
- determination of physical, chemical and mechanical properties important for the in-service performance of components,
- analysis of cost/benefits to identify additional applications in the automotive and consumer-goods industry,
- investigation of recycling possibilities at the end of the life-cycle.
The consortium comprises an alloy manufacturer (LSM), a SME company specialised in process development (EFU) and three end-users (Daimlez-Benz, FIAT, Aerospatiale). The coordinator (INTOSPACE) is responsible for research management, and industrial exploitation of research results. Targeted basic and applied research and characterisation is carried out by a contract research institute (ACCESS) and by different university institutes.

Fields of science

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

INTOSPACE GmbH
EU contribution
No data
Address
17,Sophienstraße 17
30159 Hannover
Germany

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Total cost
No data

Participants (10)

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Last update: 19 April 2002

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/BRPR950085

European Union, 2024