Abstract

The purpose of this study is to establish powder metallurgy (P/M) fabrication processes for high performance 2XXX Al composites reinforced with SiC whiskers. Rapidly solidified 2XXX Al powders produced by commercial atomization technique were mixed with SiC whiskers. The results of mixing processes indicated that fluidized zone mixing technique was considerably effective for the large scale production of the mixture of Al powders and whiskers. In order to consolidate these Al-SiC_w mixtures into Al-SiC_w composite billets, a vacuum hot press was set up, and hot processing variables were investigated. Using the hot pressing temperature of 620°C under the pressure of 50 MPa, good quality Al-SiC_w composite billets having relatively homogeneous microstructure and sound Al/sic interfacial bonding were obtained. Composite billets were then extruded to bars having relatively homogeneous microstructures at the extrusion temperature of 450~500°C under the extrusion pressure of 700~ 1000 MPa. Mechanical properties of the extruded bars were found to be comparable with those of the composite processed by Advanced Composite Materials Corp. To improve mechanical properties of the composites, elimination of coarse intermetallic compounds, uniform distribution of reinforcements, and minimization of whisker breakage are suggested.