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Thermodynamics and Kinetics of the Formation of Al2O3/ MgAl2O4/MgO in Al-Silica Metal Matrix Composite

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Abstract

The formation of Al2O3, MgAl2O4, and MgO has been widely studied in different Al base metal matrix composites, but the studies on thermodynamic aspects of the Al2O3/ MgAl2O4/MgO phase equilibria have been limited to few systems such as Al/Al2O3 and Al/SiC. The present study analyzes the Al2O3/MgAl2O4 and MgAl2O4/MgO equilibria with respect to the temperature and the Mg content in Al/SiO2 system using an extended Miedema model. There is a linear and parabolic variation in Mg with respect to the temperature for MgAl2O4/MgO and Al2O3/MgAl2O4 equilibria, respectively, and the influence of Si and Cu in the two equilibria is not appreciable. The experimental verification has been limited to MgAl2O4/MgO equilibria due to the high Mg content (≥0.5 wt pct) required for composite processing. The study has been carried out on two varieties of Al/SiO2 composites, i.e., Al/Silica gel and Al/Micro silica processed by liquid metallurgy route (stir casting route). MgO is found to be more stable compared to MgAl2O4 at Mg levels ≥5 and 1 wt pct in Al/Silica gel and Al/Micro silica composites, respectively, at 1073 K. MgO is also found to be more stable at lower Mg content (3 wt pct) in Al/Silica gel composite with decreasing particle size of silica gel from 180 micron to submicron and nanolevels. The MgO to MgAl2O4 transformation has taken place through a series of transition phases influenced by the different thermodynamic and kinetic parameters such as holding temperature, Mg concentration in the alloy, holding time, and silica particle size.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Director, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (formerly Regional Research Laboratory), Thiruvananthapuram, for his interest; all members of the Light Metals, Alloys and Composite Activity Group of the Materials and Minerals Division for their support during the experiments; and CSIR, New Delhi, for the award of SRF to the first and second authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR), Thiruvananthapuram, India, 695 019

    V.M. Sreekumar (Senior Research Fellow), K.R. Ravi (Senior Research Fellow), R.M. Pillai (Head, Material and Minerals Division) & B.C. Pai (Assistant Director)

  2. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, 721 302

    M. Chakraborty (Deputy Director)

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  1. V.M. Sreekumar
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  2. K.R. Ravi
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  3. R.M. Pillai
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  5. M. Chakraborty
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Correspondence to R.M. Pillai.

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Manuscript submitted May 2, 2007.

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Sreekumar, V., Ravi, K., Pillai, R. et al. Thermodynamics and Kinetics of the Formation of Al2O3/ MgAl2O4/MgO in Al-Silica Metal Matrix Composite. Metall Mater Trans A 39, 919–933 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-007-9448-3

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