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Development of hierarchical magnesium composites using hybrid microwave sintering
Meisam Kouhi Habibi1, Shailendra P Joshi1, Manoj Gupta1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, 117576 Singapore.
Summary
Hierarchical magnesium composites with aluminum and aluminum oxide reinforcements were developed. Nano-aluminum oxide composites showed the highest improvements in mechanical strength and ductility compared to pure magnesium.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Metallurgical Engineering
Background:
- Magnesium (Mg) alloys are lightweight but often suffer from limited mechanical properties.
- Hierarchical composites offer a pathway to enhance material performance by integrating multiple reinforcement levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize hierarchical magnesium-based composites.
- To investigate the influence of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) particle size on composite microstructure and mechanical behavior.
Main Methods:
- Powder metallurgy techniques, including microwave-assisted sintering and hot extrusion.
- Microstructural analysis using techniques to assess particle distribution and grain size.
- Mechanical testing to evaluate tensile and compressive properties.
Main Results:
- Hierarchical composites with uniform distribution of aluminum (Al) matrix composite particles were achieved.
- Significant grain refinement was observed in the hierarchical composites compared to monolithic Mg.
- The composite with nano-Al2O3 reinforcements exhibited superior tensile and compressive strength and ductility.
Conclusions:
- Hierarchical structuring is an effective strategy for enhancing magnesium composite properties.
- The length scale of Al2O3 reinforcements critically impacts the mechanical response of the magnesium composites.
- Nano-Al2O3 reinforced hierarchical composites demonstrate significant potential for advanced applications.
