26th MARCH, 2018

Age hardening behaviour of

various metal matrix
composites

Section A

Adhiraj Mukherjee

14/MM/37

Under the supervision of Dr. Joydeep Maity

 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Adhiraj Mukherjee, 14/MM/37, has

successfully given a seminar on the topic “Age hardening
behaviour of various metal matrix composites” on 26th
March, 2018 under the guidance of project supervisor

Dr. Joydeep Maity and submitted the seminar report to the

seminar coordinator.

(Dr. Manas Kumar Mandal) (Dr. Joydeep Maity)

Signnature of Seminar coordinator Signature of project guide
 TITLE
Age hardening behaviour of various metal matrix
composites

-By AdhiRaj Mukherjee

14/MM/37

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 ABSTRACT
High performance composites on the basis of aluminium alloy matrix and alumina-silica
continuous fibres were studied from the point of view of their response to age
hardening treatment as compared to the unreinforced matrix alloy. The changes were
monitored by following the micro hardness of the matrix and the electrical resistivity of
the materials examined. It was observed that the matrix of the composites showed
considerably more hardening effect than the matrix of the unreinforced alloy inspite of
the fibre being inert to the matrix alloy. The resistivity changes in the composites during
the ageing process indicated that appreciable internal stress continued to persist in the
composite material weIl after over ageing and hardness decline took place. EDX
evaluation of regions close to the fibres indicated a higher magnesium content as
compared to the regions away from the fibres.

 INTRODUCTION
• In the earlier stages of the development of metal matrix composites, it was presumed that if the
reinforcement phase is inert to the matrix, the heat treatment behaviour may not be basically different
from that of the unreinforced alloy material forming the matrix. However it was soon realised that in a
composite, the matrix may show a different heat treatment response than the same material as an
unreinforced alloy.

• An accelerated ageing response in the micro-hardness of the matrix of ceramic reinforced aluminium
composites has been acknowledged for quite some time, although the earlier studies, which measured
primarily macro-hardness, indicated no appreciable advantage in the over the unreinforced alloy.
However recent studies by Song and Baker have clearly brought out the superior age hardening
response in the composites of 6061-SiC particles and 6061-alumina whiskers even in terms of macro-
hardness.

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 Contd.
• One of the causes advanced to explain this behaviour is the higher dislocation
density in the composites, which in turn is claimed to be generated due to the
mismatch between the coefficient of expansion the matrix and the
reinforcement.

• This approach has been examined critically particularly for discontinuously

reinforced composites (DRA composites). The composites reinforced by
continuous fibres (CMMCs) have not been studied much from this point of view,
except for the early work on continuous filaments of tungsten in copper. Song
and Baker have, on the other hand, ascribed the better ageing response of the
aluminium alloy composite to a higher density of precipitation, leading to
depletion of Mg in the matrix and retarding the growth of ß’-Mg2Si phase.

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 Contd.
• Aluminium alloy based composites containing

continuous alumina-silica fibres are reported to reach high

performance levels in strength characteristics and

retention of the same at elevated temperatures.

The present work studies the age hardening behaviour of

squeeze cast composites based on aluminium alloy 6061

reinforced with continuous alumina-silica fibres in terms of the

changes in matrix micro-hardness and resistivity changes.

• The method of monitoring the changes during age-hardening by

resistivity changes has been weIl known. During precipitation from

solid solution, the solute leaving the supersaturated solution will normally

cause a fall in resistivity, as shown by the curve ab in fig.l , if the

equilibrium phase precipitates directly without any precipitation

hardening.

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Resistivity changes during precipitation
hardening

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• Aluminium alloy based composites containing continuous alumina-silica
fibres are reported to reach high performance levels in strrngth
characteristics and retention of the same at elevated temperatures . The
present work studies the age hardening behaviour of squeeze cast
composites based on aluminium alloy 6061 reinforced with continuous
alumina-silica fibres in terms of the changes in matrix micro-hardness and
resistivity changes.

• The method of monitoring the changes during age-hardening by resistivity

changes has been weIl known. During precipitation from solid solution, the
solute leaving the supersaturated solution will normally cause a fall in
resistivity, as shown by the curve ab in fig.l , if the equilibrium phase
precipitates directly without any precipitation hardening. However, if age
hardening takes place the resistivity change during ageing may follow a
curve of the type acb in fig.1, thus enabling a certain degree of monitoring
of the structural and phase changes taking place during the age- hardening
process.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
The alloy used for making the composites by squeeze casting was 6061 with the actual composition
being stated in Table 1. The fibre used was alumina-silica fibre (brand name Altex) manufactured by
Sumitomo Co. of Japan. The basic data about the fibres used are also stated in Table 1.

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 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
The unreinforced alloy showed the expected phase of Mg2Si and also an inter-metallic
phase of the shape of Chinese script, which was identified by EDX as possibly (FeMn)SiAl.
The composite samples showed micrographs indicating that the penetration was generally
satisfactory, although minute voids were seen, particularly in the regions where fibres
happen to be closely packed. It was observed that the inter-metallic phases in the matrix
of the composites were smaller in size than those in the unreinforced alloy, due to the fast
solidification of the melt in contact with fibres. The grain size of the matrix was smaller
(about 15 pm) than the one in reinforced alloy. Investigations with TEM, detailed separately
earlier indicated that within the matrix, dislocations were present, clustered main1y around
the fibres also around small particles, identified separately as Mg2Si by EDS. No evidence
was found for the formation of additional phases at the fibre/matrix interface, although
EDS did indicate segregation of some Mg to the regions near the fibres.

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Fig.2 and Fig.3 indicate the EDX spectrum of a spot near the fibre and a
spot away from the fibre in the matrix of the above composite after ageing
at 170°C. Apparent1y there is a migration of magnesium towards the
regions near the fibre. It is possible that the fibre having substantial
content of amorphous silica can influence this behaviour of magnesium.
TEM studies mentioned above also migration of Mg to the regions near
the fibre . Yang and Scott , in their study of Al- 7% Si alloy composite with
alumina fibre (Safimax of ICI), also observed by selected area diffraction
that Si and Mg were higher near the fibre, but undetectable in the main
matrix phase.

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MICRO HARDNESS AND RESISTIVITY CHANGES

Fig.4 indicates the results of matrix micro hardness changes and resistivity variation during ageing of the
unreinforced cast alloy 6061 at 170°C. The peak hardness increase of 18 VPN (above the solution treated
hardness of 65.8 VPN) is obtained in 4 hand declines rapid1y after 6 h or so. The resistivity peak is
attained at 2 hours fo110wed by a rapid decline to the base value (zero increase over the solution treated
state) in 4 hand decreases further on ageing later. The resistivity reaches its peak and starts declining by
the time the hardness peak is reached. The behaviour is on the lines of known pattern for high
temperature ageing, as schematically shown in Fig.1.

Fig.5 indicates the results of composite I (Vf 0.50) during ageing at 170°C. The hardness peak is attained
in 3 hand the increase attained is over 40 VPN over the solution treated hardness of 85.2 VPN and this is
appreciably higher than the results of the unreinforced alloy stated above. The presence of fibres definitely
influences the hardening behaviour of the matrix considerably, thus enabling the composite to attain better
overall properties. The resistivity does peak off slightly earlier than the hardness.

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 CONCLUSION
The age hardening of the matrix in 6061- alumina silica fibre
composites indicates a faster and stronger hardening effect than the
unreinforced alloy treated under identical conditions. The material, as
an example of continuously reinforced composite (CMMC), indicated
that it shows a hardening effect of reinforcement on the matrix almost
as intense as the one observed.in discontinuously reinforced
composites (DMMC). The resistivity changes indicated the existence
of strains in the material that are relieved slowly compared to the
softening in over ageing.

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THANK YOU

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