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AlN nanowires for Al-based composites with high strength and low thermal expansion

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Abstract

Based on the synthesis of a sufficient amount of AlN nanowires (AlN-NWs), AlN-NWs/Al composites with homogenously distributed AlN-NWs were fabricated. Microstructural observations reveal that the interface between AlN-NWs and Al matrix is clean and bonded well, and no interfacial reaction product was formed at the nanowire-matrix boundary. Mechanical properties including yield and tensile strength of the composites were improved with AlN-NWs volume fraction changing from 5 to 15 vol%, and the maximum yield and tensile strengths of the composite were about 6 and 5 times, respectively, as high as those of Al matrix. Meanwhile, AlN-NWs effectively decreased the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the composites, and the CTE of 15 vol% composite was about one half that of Al matrix. The results obtained suggest that AlN nanowire is a promising reinforcement for optimizing the mechanical and thermal properties of metal matrix composites.

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Acknowledgments

The project was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50371083). The authors thank Prof. H.M. Cheng, Prof. N.L. Shi, Prof. E. Tomas, Dr. Q.S. Zhu, Dr. Z.Q. Yang, and Mr. Y.L. Wang for their kind help in discussion, characterization and measurements of mechanical and thermal expansion properties of the samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, People’s Republic of China

    Y. B. Tang, Y. Q. Liu, C. H. Sun & H. T. Cong

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  1. Y. B. Tang
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  2. Y. Q. Liu
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  3. C. H. Sun
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  4. H. T. Cong
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Correspondence to H. T. Cong.

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Tang, Y.B., Liu, Y.Q., Sun, C.H. et al. AlN nanowires for Al-based composites with high strength and low thermal expansion. Journal of Materials Research 22, 2711–2718 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2007.0368

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2007.0368

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