PREPARATION OF WHISKER REINFORCED Al-8.5Fe--1.3V-1.7Si COMPOSITES AND APPRAISAL OF REINFORCING BEHAVIOUR FOR VARIOUS WHISKERS

Various whiskers, SiC, Si_3N_4 and Al_(18)B_4O_(33),reinforced Al-8.SFe1 .3V-1 .7Si alloy composites have been prepared by the P / M technique at elevated temperature. The interfacial reaction at the Al_(18)B_4O_(33) interfaces and interfacial reaction product at the SiC or Si_3N_4 interfaces were avoided by employing the alloy matrix without Mg. The strength and modulus of the composites may be obviously improved by incorporating the whiskers in effective sequence:SiC, Si_3N_4 and Al_(18)B_4O_(33). The strength of thess compositeswill linearly drop with increasing temperature, yet their service temperature seems to be 50-100 ℃ higher than that of SiCw / 2024Al composite.