Prospects for using aluminum matrix composite materials in the automotive industry

Abstract

The scope of the use of aluminum-alloy-based metal-matrix composite materials has been expanding in recent years. However, the high cost of raw materials is a considerable deterrent to the widespread implementation of products made of such composites. Therefore, the ranges of the said materials commercial application are yet inadequate to their technical and operational capabilities. So, methods of making metal-matrix composite materials directly from a liquid melt are currently of interest. This paper presents the theoretical studies and the results of practical experiments for the production of metal-matrix composite material by the internal oxidation method. There are described the results of mechanical tests and the microstructure of specimens confirming theoretical assumptions in the oxidation of aluminum melt array. A comparative analysis is given for the cost of producing an alloy containing 30% of Al2O3 particles obtained by adding the Al2O3 powder and an alloy obtained by the internal oxidation of the aluminum melt. The studied technology provides for the formation of aluminum oxide directly in the aluminum melt, thus enabling to produce a composite material by a single-stage process and ensuring the process efficiency.