COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY

METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE PROCESSING

SOLID STATE PROCESSING
DIFFUSION BONDING
Diffusion bonding is a common solid-state processing technique for joining similar
or dissimilar metals. Interdiffusion of atoms between clean metallic surfaces, in contact at
an elevated temperature, leads to bonding
It is an expensive process generally limited to simple shapes such as tubes and
plates. More complicated structure require further fabrication from these basic shapes
increasing the overall cost of the composite and decreasing its attractiveness to the potential
user. The temperature of solid state processing is lower than that of liquid state processing.
There are many variants of the basic diffusion bonding process, although all of them
involve simultaneous application of pressure and high temperature.
Matrix alloy foil and fiber arrays (composite wire) or monolayer laminae are
stacked in a predetermined order (Fig. 1). Vacuum hot pressing is an important step in the
diffusion bonding processes for metal- matrix composites. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP),
instead of uniaxial pressing, can also be used. In HIP, gas pressure against a can
consolidates the composite inside the can. With HIP it is relatively easy to apply high
pressures at elevated temperatures with variable geometries.
In this technique layers of metal foil are sandwiched with long fibers, and
then pressed through to form a composites. Also this technique is used for making multilayer metal sheets. One of applications is the bi-metal. In this process two different thin
sheets are brought into contact with each other in an alternative manner. This
arrangement may be pressed strongly for a long period while keeping their temperature
slightly high. This forced contact would lead to the atoms of individual metals to
diffuse into the neighboring metal. The amount of Interdiffusion of any metal atom into
the other will be decided by the value of diffusion coefficient of one metal atom into the
other metal. Hence, the sheets will stick together quite tightly.
UVCE,BANAGALORE

Page 1

COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY

Fig. 1 Diffusion bonding process: (a) apply metal foil and cut to shape, (b) lay up desired
plies, (c) vacuum encapsulate and heat to fabrication temperature, (d) apply pressure and
hold for consolidation cycle, and (e) cool, remove, and clean part
The best known examples of MMCs produced by diffusion bonding are titanium,
nickel, copper and particularly aluminium reinforced with boron fibers.
The principal advantages of this technique are the ability to process a wide variety
of metal matrices and control of fiber orientation and volume fraction.
Among the disadvantages are long processing times, high processing temperatures
and pressures (which makes the process expensive), and a limitation on the complexity of
shapes that can be produced.
UVCE,BANAGALORE

Page 2

COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY

POWDER METTALLURGY
It is a manufacturing process in which components are directly made by bringing a
powder of starting material into final desired shape by compressing the powder in dies, can
produce as well as high density parts.
Powder metallurgy is especially suited for the production of discontinuous fiber, whiskers
or particulate reinforced metals.
The powder metallurgy process has been used to produce composites such as boron,
carbon and borsic fibers with aluminium alloy, SiC fibers with chromium alloys, boron and
Al2O3 fibers with titanium alloy, tungsten and molybdenum fibers with nickel alloy and several
other composite systems. Powder metallurgy is a versatile process but its application to
fabrication of metal matrix composites may not be straight-forward, especially because of the
presence of reinforcement phase. Major areas of application tend to be those for which the P/M
process has strong economical advantage or where the desired properties and characteristics
would be difficult to obtain by any other method.
MANUFACTURING STEPS
1. Powder preparation

Atomization
Machining
Reduction
Crushing and milling
Electro decomposition
Shotting

2. Mixing and blending

3, compacting
4. Sintering
Flowchart of the Powder Metallurgy Process :
UVCE,BANAGALORE

Page 3

COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY

Elemental or alloy
metal powders

Additives
(lubricants or
Blending
Die Compacting
Sintering

Optional
Secondary
Manufacturing

Optional
Secondary
Finishing
Finished P/M product

POWDER PREPARATION
ATOMISATION
Molten metal is broken into small droplets by spraying it on incoming compressed air,
water jets or inert gas. Air and water jet induces oxidation of powder. Control of metal flow rate,
pressure and temperature of air or water controls the powder size used for low melting point
alloys like brass, bronze, zinc, tin, lead and aluminium.

UVCE,BANAGALORE

Page 4

COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY

Vertical gas atomization

Representative Metal Powders: (a) Chemical; Sponge Iron-Reduced Ore; (b) Electolytic:
Copper; (c) Mechanical: Milled Aluminum Powder Containing Disperoids (17); (d) Water
Atomization : Iron; (e) Gas Atomization: Nickel-Base Hardfacing Alloy
UVCE,BANAGALORE

Page 5

COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY

MACHINING
The materials are machined to fine coarse powder. Magnesium is produced by this
process.
REDUCTION
Metal oxide is treated with a suitable reducing gas an elevated temperature below its
melting point. The pure metal so obtained is crushed and milled to a powder. Process is cheap
and large quantity of powder can be produced. Particles are of irregular size. W, Mo, Ni and Co
are made by Hydrogen reduction.
CRUSHING AND MILLING
Used for brittle metals and utilize various types of crushes, rotary mills and stamping
mills to break down the metals by impact. Gyrator, cone or roller crushers obtain first coarse
material powder. Filter powder is got by ball miller hammer mill.
ELECTRO DEPSITION
To make iron powder impure steel plates act as anodes and sheets of stainless steel act as
cathodes placed in an electrolyte. When Direct current is passed spongy iron gets deposited on
cathode plates. This is shopped off and crushed. Copper, silver and tantalum powders are made
by this process.
SHOTTING
This method consists of pouring a fine stream of molten metal through a vibrating screen
into air or natural atmosphere. In this way molten metal is disintegrated into a large number of
droplets, which solidify as solid spherical particles. Copper, brass, aluminium, zinc, gold, silks,
led, nickel, etc are examples

UVCE,BANAGALORE

Page 6

COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY

BLENDING AND MIXING

Blending is an operation of thorough inter mingling of powders of different size of the
same material and mixing is inter mingling of powders of different materials.
Main purpose of mixing is to ensure uniform distribution of powder of different specific
gravities, different particle size and shapes. By mixing characteristics can be controlled.
COMPACTING
Compact of desired shape with sufficient to withstand ejection from tools and subsequent
handling up to the completion of sintering without breakage or damage.

Methods
Pressure less shaping
In this the required shape is given by to a powder mass prior to sintering it without
applying an external pressure.
E.g.: slip casting, slurry
Cold pressure shaping
In this process have largest scope for shaping metal powders. Cold die compaction,
isostatic pressing, explosive forming, high energy rate forming, powder rolling cyclic
compacting, centrifugal compaction, powder extrusion.
Pressure shaping technique with heat
It include hot isostatic pressing, hot working, spark sintering etc.

UVCE,BANAGALORE

Page 7

COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY

SINTERING
The green compact so obtained will be rather very fragile due to limited degree inter
particle bonding.
Sintering is a process of heating a loosely compacted aggregate of metal powders below
the melting point of the vase metal with or without the application of external pressure in order
to perform it to a more dense material by inter particle bonding.
Sintering is a concerned with diffusion of particle to particle the formation of grain
boundary, closing the voids present in the green briquettes.
ADVANTAGES OF POWDER METALLURGY OVER OTHER CONVENTIONAL
MELTING AND CASTING METHODS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Freedom to start with raw materials of high purity

Extremely good surface finish at very low additional cost after sizing and coining
Economy, greater accuracy
Cleaner ,Quieter operations and longer life of the components
Lack of voids, gas pockets, porosity, blowholes & various inclusions common in

casting
6. Control of grain size, relatively much uniform structure
7. Excellent reproducibility
8. Improved physical and structural properties
9. Ability to offer complex shape
10. Elimination of numerous machining operations
11. Possibility of producing new materials by mixing different materials and obtain
improved properties.

LIMITATIONS
1. Difficult to get extremely pure powders. Powder production is expensive
2. Inferior Strength Properties
UVCE,BANAGALORE

Page 8

COMPOSITE MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY

3.
4.
5.
6.

Porous materials are liable to oxidize

Process pure plastic properties
High investment
Shape and size limitations due to absence of plastic flow, friction in powders,
mechanical limitations of dies and tools.

AREAS WHERE POWDER METALLURGY PRODUCTS ARE USED EXTENSIVELY

Aerospace application

Recreational equipment

Hand tools

Hardware items

Business machines

Industrial motors

Hydraulics

Home appliances

AREAS OF RAPID GROWTH

Aerospace applications

Advanced composites

Electronic components

Magnetic materials

Metalworking tools

A variety of biomedical and dental applications

UVCE,BANAGALORE

Page 9