Aluminium-aluminium nitride composites fabricated by melt infiltration under pressure

Aluminium-matrix composites containing approximately 55 vol.% AlN particles were fabricated by melt infiltration of aluminium into an AlN preform under a pressure of up to 130 MPa. Two different AlN powders (H.C. Starck, Goslar, Germany, and ESK, Elektroschmelzwerk, Kempten, Germany) and four types of aluminium alloy (2024, 1070, 6060 and 5754) were used. The initial AlN powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The composites were studied by light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopies and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Particle-matrix interfaces were observed using high-resolution electron microscopy. As a result of the melt infiltration process, the composites are very dense and the microstructure shows a homogeneous distribution of the reinforcement. The interfaces are clean with very little porosity. Some Al2Cu precipitates were observed in the 2024 matrix.