Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Powder Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 13152

Special Issue Editors

School of Energy Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, China
Interests: powder metallurgy; Cu matrix composites; Al matrix composites; carbide; superalloy; wear resistant material
School of Energy Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, China
Interests: nano-material; corrosion resistant coating; insulating material; superhydrophobic material
School of Energy Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, China
Interests: powder metallurgy; 3D printing; superalloy; shape memory alloy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ceramic-reinforced metal matrix composites (metal-ceramic composites) have attracted much attention for a long time and have been applied in many fields, such as automobile, aerospace, electronic industry and so on. This is because various properties of metals, such as their mechanical and wear resistance and high-temperature performance, can be effectively improved through the composite of ceramic materials, and due to their designability. The development of metal-ceramic composites, especially their rapid development in recent years, mainly benefits from the improvement of preparation methods and the application of new technologies. Among them, due to the advantages of the easy compounding of different types of materials and suitable large-scale production, the powder metallurgy method was applied to the preparation of metal-ceramic composites from the very beginning and gradually developed into the main technology of the low-cost and large-scale production of high-performance metal-ceramic composites. With the emergence and development of new technologies, such as 3D printing and spark plasma sintering (SPS) and so on, the advantages of powder metallurgy in the preparation of metal-ceramic composites are becoming clearer.

In this Special Issue, entitled Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method, we welcome articles that focus on the following aspects: (Ⅰ) the improvement and optimization of the preparation process, including the improvement of the traditional process and the application of new technology; (Ⅱ) the adaptation relationship between different types of composite systems and the preparation processes; (Ⅲ) the microstructure control, especially the nanoization of the reinforcement and the control of the interface, as well as the relationship between the microstructures and properties.

Prof. Dr. Haiming Ding
Dr. Peng Wang
Guest Editors

Dr. Xiangguang Kong
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • metal-ceramic composites
  • powder metallurgy
  • microstructure characterization
  • interface
  • mechanical properties
  • 3D printing
  • spark plasma sintering
  • nano-material

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 12594 KiB  
Article
In-Depth Understanding of Hardmetal Corrosion Performance Reveals a Path to the Electrochemical Demolition of Scrap
by Benedetto Bozzini, Francesco Tavola, Augusto Travella, Alessandro Alleva, Claudio Mele, Elisa Emanuele, Sandra Tedeschi and Gian Pietro De Gaudenzi
Metals 2023, 13(8), 1376; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13081376 - 31 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1095
Abstract
Recycling of hardmetal scrap is strategic for critical raw materials recovery. Available recycling processes are polluting and have a large carbon footprint. Attempts to exploit controlled corrosion failed in industrial practice, owing to self-limiting processes. We revisit the corrosion route, in view of [...] Read more.
Recycling of hardmetal scrap is strategic for critical raw materials recovery. Available recycling processes are polluting and have a large carbon footprint. Attempts to exploit controlled corrosion failed in industrial practice, owing to self-limiting processes. We revisit the corrosion route, in view of gaining the fundamental knowledge enabling high-throughput recovery. We selected the worst-case approach of highly corrosion-resistant CoNiWC-based hardmetal grades and neutral aqueous electrolyte at room temperature. Systematic electrochemical measurements, UV–Vis spectroscopy and SEM microscopy disclosed that, even though there is no hope to overcome the self-limiting corrosion rate, nevertheless, by exploiting the mechanical action of anodic O2 evolution acting precisely at the interface between the residual active material and the corrosion film, the latter can be efficiently removed, periodically reactivating the hardmetal corrosion in a way that results in an ultra-high scrap destruction rate, of interest for real-life industrial processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method)
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15 pages, 7233 KiB  
Article
Microstructure, Mechanical and Wear Properties of W-Si-C Composites Consolidated by Spark Plasma Sintering
by Chuanbin Wang, Yongxin Cheng, Sumeng Hu, Kejia Kang, Yuzhe Han, Xudan Zhang, Ronghan Wei and Guoqiang Luo
Metals 2023, 13(5), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050937 - 11 May 2023
Viewed by 1229
Abstract
W-Si-C composites with high relative densities and good mechanical and wear properties were successfully prepared by spark plasma sintering. The influence of SiC content on the relative density, microstructure, mechanical properties and wear characteristics was investigated. The results indicated that the reaction between [...] Read more.
W-Si-C composites with high relative densities and good mechanical and wear properties were successfully prepared by spark plasma sintering. The influence of SiC content on the relative density, microstructure, mechanical properties and wear characteristics was investigated. The results indicated that the reaction between SiC and W at their interface produced W2C and W5Si3. SiC also reacted with oxygen impurities at the W grain boundary to form SiO2. The purification of the grain boundaries of W was carried out by SiO2 synthesis. Reactive sintering reduces the free energy of the system and facilitates the densification process of W-Si-C composites. This results in a significant increase in the relative density of W-Si-C composites, which reaches a maximum of 98.12%, higher than the 94.32% of pure tungsten. The hardness significantly increases from 4.33 GPa to 8.40 GPa when the SiC content is 2 wt% compared to pure tungsten due to the generation of the hard ceramic phase and the increase in relative density. The wear resistance of the W-Si-C composites was significantly improved with little SiC addition. The wear rate significantly decreased from 313.27 × 10−3 mm3/N·m of pure tungsten to 5.71 × 10−3 mm3/N·m of W-0.5 wt% SiC. SEM analyses revealed that the dominant wear mechanism of pure tungsten was attributed to fatigue wear, while that of W-Si-C composites was due to abrasive wear. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method)
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29 pages, 14291 KiB  
Article
Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, and Thermal Stability of Al-Al2O3 Nanocomposites Consolidated by ECAP or SPS from Milled Powders
by Antoine Lacour-Gogny-Goubert, Véronique Doquet, Marc Novelli, Alexandre Tanguy, Simon Hallais, Julie Bourgon, Benjamin Villeroy and Roxane Massion
Metals 2023, 13(5), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050825 - 23 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1200
Abstract
Ultrafine-grained Al matrix nanocomposites, reinforced with Al2O3 nanoparticles, were produced from milled powders, either by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), at room or high temperature, with or without back pressure, or by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Their microstructures, mechanical properties [...] Read more.
Ultrafine-grained Al matrix nanocomposites, reinforced with Al2O3 nanoparticles, were produced from milled powders, either by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), at room or high temperature, with or without back pressure, or by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Their microstructures, mechanical properties (compression, hardness, and sliding wear), and thermal stabilities (thermally induced softening and cracking) were compared, and the advantages and limitations of each process discussed on a scientific but also practical point of view. For the most successful set of process parameters, the yield stress in compression reached 380 MPa, the hardness, HV = 139, remained stable up to 500 °C, and the resistance to sliding wear was comparable to that of Al 5083, and better than that of Al 7075-T6. While the samples consolidated at high temperatures (by ECAP or SPS) showed a good thermal stability, those consolidated by ECAP at room temperature were prone to thermally induced softening and cracking, which was related to trapped and pressurized gases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method)
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13 pages, 6093 KiB  
Article
The Microstructures of TiC–Ti5Si3-Reinforced Cu Matrix Composites Prepared by Ti–SiC Reaction
by Chaoxian Zhang, Xiao Zhang, Wenzhi Miao, Jiangmin Wu, Fugong Qi, Jiyu Zhou and Haimin Ding
Metals 2023, 13(3), 607; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13030607 - 17 Mar 2023
Viewed by 934
Abstract
In this work, the TiC and Ti5Si3-reinforced Cu matrix composites with different contents were successfully prepared through Ti–SiC reaction in Cu melts; accordingly, the microstructures of them were studied, and the hardness of the composites was tested. It is [...] Read more.
In this work, the TiC and Ti5Si3-reinforced Cu matrix composites with different contents were successfully prepared through Ti–SiC reaction in Cu melts; accordingly, the microstructures of them were studied, and the hardness of the composites was tested. It is found that the synthesized TiC are granular, with a size ranging from 0.5 μm to 3 μm, while the Ti5Si3 are rod-like hexagonal prisms with a diameter of about 1 μm and a length-to-diameter ratio of about 5~25. In addition, it is noticed that many Ti5Si3 rods are actually Cu@Ti5Si3 core–shell structure rods. TiC and Ti5Si3 alternately distribute in the Cu matrix to form the hybrid reinforcement system. With the increase in Ti–SiC content, the TiC particles, Ti5Si3 rods and Cu@Ti5Si3 increased obviously, and the solid skeleton structure of TiC–Ti5Si3 was formed. The hardness of the composites was 2.2 to 2.74 times greater than that of the as-cast pure copper. It is deduced that, compared to the composites reinforced by either TiC or Ti5Si3, the formation of the TiC–Ti5Si3 hybrid system is more helpful for improving the properties of the composites due to the different morphologies of TiC and Ti5Si3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method)
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23 pages, 6507 KiB  
Article
Corrosion Behaviour of Cemented Carbides with Co- and Ni-Alloy Binders in the Presence of Abrasion
by Gian Pietro De Gaudenzi, Francesco Tavola, Sandra Tedeschi and Benedetto Bozzini
Metals 2022, 12(11), 1914; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12111914 - 08 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1499
Abstract
More and more often, cemented carbides are employed for the production of wear resistant components and have to face highly demanding service conditions that combine different damage mechanisms. A key example is the range of tetraphasic (sea water, sand, liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons) [...] Read more.
More and more often, cemented carbides are employed for the production of wear resistant components and have to face highly demanding service conditions that combine different damage mechanisms. A key example is the range of tetraphasic (sea water, sand, liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons) flows encountered in the Oil and Gas extraction industry. Notwithstanding the importance of operating regimes of this type, the availability of fundamental and quantitative information on the corrosion performance of cemented carbides in the presence of abrasion is still limited. In this paper, we report a systematic study of the corrosion behaviour of cemented tungsten carbide grades with binders containing different amounts of cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) and noble metal additions, subjected to controlled mechanical abrasion, impacting the stability and nature of pseudopassivation films. In this work, special attention is devoted to Cr, a classical of additive that inhibits the Ostwald ripening of tungsten carbide (WC) particles and notably improves the corrosion resistance of grades with ultrafine-to-fine WC grain size and low-to-medium binder content. We assessed the impact of binder composition on the anodic behaviour by means of linear-sweep voltammetry and chronopotentiometry as well as on the mechanical properties. The application of controlled abrasion conditions under electrochemical control is carried out with an in-house modified ASTM B611 apparatus, equipped with a three-electrode system, enabling the systematic investigation of the synergy of electrochemical and mechanical damaging conditions. Increased corrosion resistance in environments without and with added chloride—both in the absence and in the presence of abrasion—was observed in all the Co- and Ni-based grades to which growing quantities of Cr were added. Moreover, doping with ruthenium (Ru) further enhances corrosion resistance. Regarding corrosion in the presence of abrasion, the addition of Cr and Ru increases the ability of regenerating the pseudopassivation film. The optimized compositions of the binder have been highlighted that open up attractive opportunities of improved service behaviour and deployment in new applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method)
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9 pages, 2598 KiB  
Article
Sr2+ Ion Substitution Enhanced Dielectric Properties of Co(2)Z Ferrites for VHF Antenna Substrate
by Ji Wang, Kunlong Li and Gongwen Gan
Metals 2022, 12(9), 1541; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12091541 - 18 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1285
Abstract
The effect of Sr2+ ions on the microstructure and high frequency properties of 2.5 wt% Bi2O3 added to Co(2)Z hexaferrites (3Ba(1-x)SrxO•2CoO•12Fe2O3, x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6) synthesised [...] Read more.
The effect of Sr2+ ions on the microstructure and high frequency properties of 2.5 wt% Bi2O3 added to Co(2)Z hexaferrites (3Ba(1-x)SrxO•2CoO•12Fe2O3, x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6) synthesised using the solid-state reaction method was investigated. Experimental results indicate that the dielectric properties were markedly enhanced with the increase in the content of Sr2+ ions, thereby increasing the miniaturisation factor, which enables a size reduction in a long frequency range. Slight changes to saturation magnetisation (Ms) and coercivity (Hc) were observed, i.e., the saturation magnetisation (Ms) decreased from 39.99 to 38.11 emu/g, and coercivity (Hc) increased from 59.05 to 65.21 Oe when x increased from 0.0 to 0.6. Meanwhile, ε′ increased from approximately 8 to 12, indicating the invariability in μ′. In addition, the processed materials exhibit relatively low magnetic loss and dielectric loss (magnetic loss tanδμ ≈ 0.08 and dielectric loss (tanδε ≈ 0.007)). These results indicate that the substituted CO(2)Z ferrites have excellent potential in high-frequency antenna applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method)
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13 pages, 3360 KiB  
Article
Fe-Si Intermetallics/Al2O3 Composites Formed between Fe-20% Si and Fe-70.5% Si by SHS Metallurgy Method
by Chun-Liang Yeh, Ann Lu and Wei-Che Liang
Metals 2022, 12(8), 1337; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12081337 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1198
Abstract
Fe–Si intermetallics–Al2O3 composites were fabricated by thermite-assisted combustion synthesis. Combustion reactions were conducted with powder compacts composed of Fe2O3, Al, Fe, and Si. The starting stoichiometry of powder mixtures had an atomic Fe/Si proportion ranging from [...] Read more.
Fe–Si intermetallics–Al2O3 composites were fabricated by thermite-assisted combustion synthesis. Combustion reactions were conducted with powder compacts composed of Fe2O3, Al, Fe, and Si. The starting stoichiometry of powder mixtures had an atomic Fe/Si proportion ranging from Fe-20% to Fe-70.5% Si to explore the variation of silicide phases formed with Si percentage. Combustion in the mode of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) was achieved and the activation energy of the SHS reaction was deduced. It was found that the increase of Si content decreased the combustion temperature and combustion wave velocity. Three silicide compounds, Fe3Si, FeSi, and α-FeSi2, along with Al2O3 were identified by XRD in the final products. Fe3Si was formed as the single-phase silicide from the reactions with Si percentage from Fe-20% to Fe-30% Si. FeSi dominated the silicide compounds in the reactions with atomic Si content between Fe-45% and Fe-55% Si. As the Si percentage increased to Fe-66.7% Si and Fe-70.5% Si, α-FeSi2 became the major phase. The microstructure of the composite product showed that dispersed granular or nearly spherical iron silicides were embedded in Al2O3, which was dense and continuous. Most of the silicide grains were around 3–5 μm and the atomic ratio of silicide particles from the EDS analysis confirmed the presence of Fe3Si, FeSi, and FeSi2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method)
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14 pages, 6544 KiB  
Article
Effect of Ta Content on Microstructure and Properties of (Ti,W)C-Based Cermets
by Song Zhang, Junfeng Liao, Meijun Yang, Baifeng Ji, Qizhong Li, Takashi Goto and Rong Tu
Metals 2022, 12(8), 1282; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12081282 - 29 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1304
Abstract
(Ti,W)C-based cermets are an ideal material for the preparation of high-performance cutting tools due to their excellent mechanical properties, high temperature oxidation resistance, and corrosion resistance. However, their lower toughness limits the application of cutting tools. In order to solve the problem of [...] Read more.
(Ti,W)C-based cermets are an ideal material for the preparation of high-performance cutting tools due to their excellent mechanical properties, high temperature oxidation resistance, and corrosion resistance. However, their lower toughness limits the application of cutting tools. In order to solve the problem of low toughness faced by the current materials used in tools, in this study, a (Ti,W)C solid solution was used as the hard phase to prepare cermets with high toughness via vacuum sintering. The effects of Ta content on the composition, morphology, and microstructure of the cermets were analyzed through XRD analysis and SEM and EDS characterization methods. The mechanical properties such as hardness, transverse fracture strength, and the fracture toughness of the cermets and corrosion resistance in an HNO3 solution were also investigated. The results show that the microstructure of (Ti,W)C solid solution-based cermets exhibit simpler core-rim (single-rim) and acyclic structures, which weaken the formation and propagation of cracks at the interface. The relative density and grain size of cermets increases and decreases, respectively, with the greater amount of Ta addition, while excessive Ta addition leads to a decrease in the relative density and agglomeration between grains. The cermet with 3 wt.% Ta addition possessed excellent mechanical properties with a Vickers hardness, transverse rupture strength, and fracture toughness of 13 GPa, 1907.4 MPa, and 15.5 MPa m1/2, respectively. The addition of Ta leads to the formation of a Ta-rich protective layer on the surface of the cermet under the corrosion of the acidic solution, and with the increase in the Ta content, the corrosion resistance of the cermet gradually improves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method)
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Review

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61 pages, 20187 KiB  
Review
Design of In Situ Metal Matrix Composites Produced by Powder Metallurgy—A Critical Review
by Isadora Schramm Deschamps, Daniel dos Santos Avila, Enzo Vanzuita Piazera, Robinson Carlos Dudley Cruz, Claudio Aguilar and Aloisio Nelmo Klein
Metals 2022, 12(12), 2073; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12122073 - 02 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2729
Abstract
In situ composite manufacture is an approach to improve interfacial adhesion between matrix and reinforcements, in which reinforcements are synthesized along composite processing itself. In situ powder metallurgy route, in particular, offers alternatives to some shortcomings found in other techniques. This work aims [...] Read more.
In situ composite manufacture is an approach to improve interfacial adhesion between matrix and reinforcements, in which reinforcements are synthesized along composite processing itself. In situ powder metallurgy route, in particular, offers alternatives to some shortcomings found in other techniques. This work aims not only to review the state of the art on metal matrix composites (MMCs)—including cermets—obtained in situ by powder metallurgy, but also to dissect key aspects related to the development of such materials in order to establish theoretical criteria for decision making before and along experiments. Aspects regarding the design, raw material selection, and processing of such composites were observed and divided between concept, intrinsic, and extrinsic parameters. That way, by means of material databases and computational thermodynamics applied to examples of the reviewed literature, we aim at providing tools in both conducting leaner experiments and richer discussion in this field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Ceramic Composites Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Method)
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