Investigation on in situ Al0.5FeSi0.5/Al composites prepared by transient liquid phase sintering

Abstract In situ Al 0.5 FeSi 0.5 /Al composites were prepared by transient liquid-phase sintering. The hardness and wear resistance of the composites were investigated with an XHV-1000 microhardness tester and an M-2000 wear tester. Results show that with increased sintering temperature and holding time, the in situ needle-like reinforcement is transformed into short, bar-like, massive particles. At a sintering temperature of 510 °C and holding time of 4 h, the reinforcement consists of short, bar-like Al 0.5 FeSi 0.5 ; moreover, the hardness of the in situ Al 0.5 FeSi 0.5 /Al composites peaks to a value eight times that of pure aluminum and 2.5 times that of Al–Si alloy. Accordingly, the wear resistance of the composites is the highest, i.e., 6.6 that of pure Al and 4.5 times that of Al–Si alloy.