Effect of Content and Size of Reinforcements on the Grain Evolution of Graphene-Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites

Abstract

Graphene-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (GRAMCs) attract great interest in industries due to their high performance potential. High-temperature processes such as sintering and aging are usually applied during the preparation of GRAMCs, leading to grain coarsening that significantly influences its properties. In this work, a modified 3D Monte Carlo Potts model was proposed to investigate the effect of content and size of graphene on the grain evolution during the heat treatment of GRAMCs. Grain growth with graphene contents from 0.5 wt.% to 4.5 wt.% and sizes from 5 μm to 15 μm were simulated. The grain growth process, final grain size and morphology of the microstructure were predicted. The results indicated that both the content and size of the reinforcements had an impact on the grain evolution. The pinning effect of grain size can be enhanced by increasing the content and decreasing the size of graphene. Agglomeration and self-contacting phenomena of the graphene arose obviously when the contents and sizes were relatively high. The average grain size decreased by 48.77% when the content increased from 0.5 wt.% to 4.5 wt.%. The proposed method and predicted regulations can provide a reference for the design and fabrication of GRAMCs.

Enhancing Tribo-Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of ADC 12 Alloy Composites through Marble Dust Reinforcement by Squeeze Casting Technique

“…The experimental density, however, exhibits a more pronounced decrement with increasing MD content, demonstrating a decreasing trend-the percentage difference in porosity increases from 1.24% in A to 3.91% in F. The reduction in experimental density is attributed to the lower density of the MD particles compared to the ADC 12 alloy, leading to increased porosity with higher MD contents. The grain size of the composites also exhibits a decreasing trend with increasing MD content, which is attributed to the finer particle size of the MD reinforcement[43]. The decrease in grain size enhances the interfacial bonding and contributes to improved mechanical properties.Conversely, the higher MD contents may exhibit higher porosity, primarily due to MD particles' non-uniform distribution and agglomeration, hindering their efficient packing within the ADC 12 matrix during the casting process.…”