MECHANICAL AND TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES REINFORCED WITH SHORT CARBON FIBRE

摘要

The paper constitutes the culmination of the foregoing investigations concerning the influence of short carbon fibre on the enhancement of AlMg10 alloy properties. The presented work brings forward the results of examinations of mechanical and tribological properties of metal matrix composites (MMCs) based on this alloy. Composites were produced by two methods: either by gravity casting or by squeeze casting in semi-solid state of a composite suspension previously obtained through mixing of its components. The volume fraction of the reinforcing phase varied and took the value of 5, or 10, or finally 15 vol. %. Specimens cut out of the experimental castings were examined with respect both to their mechanical properties, i.e. the tensile strength and unit elongation, and to their tribological behaviour. A series of examinations of the mechanical properties proved a slight increase in tensile strength and a minor decrease in unit elongation of the examined composite materials both for gravity cast and squeeze cast specimens, as compared with the properties of pure matrix alloy. The introduction of short carbon fibre into the matrix alloy resulted also in the increased abrasive wear resistance of the examined composites in comparison to the non-reinforced matrix.