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Processing of Carbon Fibers Reinforced Mg Matrix Composites Via Pre-infiltration with Al

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Abstract

Mg-C composites offer a suitable alternative to Al alloys while allowing for a significant weight reduction, but their production can be impaired by the poor wettability of C substrates by Mg. In this study, a new “liquid” processing route has been investigated. By making use of the well-known effect of a pre-treatment of the C fibers with an aqueous solution of K2ZrF6 in favoring spontaneous wetting of C with Al, C yarns have been pre-impregnated with Al and the feasibility of further using them as reinforcements in Mg matrix composites has been assessed. More particularly, it has thus been shown that the, under the thermal conditions involved in the process, C fibers did not suffer damage due to chemical reaction with Al, and also that special care should be taken to control the surface condition of the pre-infiltrated yarns.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Walloon Region, under Winnomat convention No W2/716664. They also wish to thank E. Clembos, M. Sinnaeve, and A. Maton (UCL/IMAP), as well as J. Cambon and the LAFAB team (UCL) for their technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    A. Mertens & F. Delannay

  2. Metallic Materials Science Unit, A&M Department, Faculty of Applied Science, Université de Liège, Chemin des Chevreuils, 1 B52/3, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    A. Mertens, H.-M. Montrieux & J. Lecomte-Beckers

  3. Sirris Research Centre, Liège, Belgium

    J. Halleux

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  1. A. Mertens
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  2. H.-M. Montrieux
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  4. J. Lecomte-Beckers
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  5. F. Delannay
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Correspondence to A. Mertens.

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Mertens, A., Montrieux, HM., Halleux, J. et al. Processing of Carbon Fibers Reinforced Mg Matrix Composites Via Pre-infiltration with Al. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 21, 701–706 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-012-0177-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-012-0177-4

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