Associate Professor Jerzy Morgiel
Development, characterization and properties of composites produced with nano-materials.
The seminar will address the practical development of new metal matrix composite materials. The strong emphasize will be placed on the exploitation of unique properties of nanomaterials including ceramic particles and fibers. As an example, the problems connected with casting, microstructure characterization and testing of mechanical properties of aluminium alloys reinforced with alumina Saffil? fibers will be discussed. The production of such composite requires preparation of perform filled with uniformly distributed and properly stabilized fibers. Due to poor wetting of alumina by aluminium alloys only the force infiltration may produce proper results, i.e. acceptable low porosity. The microstructure observations clearly point, that the bonding phase used for stabilization of the Saffil? fibers is an unwelcome source of oxygen contamination. It promotes formation of magnesium oxides and spinels having detrimental effects on its mechanical properties. Basing on the above example, a proper approach in development new composite materials will be elaborated.
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