PARTICULATE REINFORCED ALUMINUM ALLOY MATRIX COMPOSITES - A REVIEW ON THE EFFECT OF MICROCONSTITUENTS

Particulate reinforced aluminum-based metal matrix composites (Al MMCs) continue to be of interest, partly due to their low density, but also because of their ability to provide tailored property combinations, such as high specific stiffness, specific strength and creep resistance. This article provides a review on the progress that has been made in the field of particulate reinforced Al MMCs during the past decade, paying particular attention to the influence of size and spatial distributions of the Al alloy matrix grains and the reinforcing particles on the mechanical performance of the composites. In addition, the current state-of-the-art as well as the challenges facing Al MMCs that involve heat treatable Al alloys as the matrix are addressed. Finally, our recent findings related to B4C particulate reinforced 7xxx series Al alloy (Al-Zn-Mg) MMCs are also discussed.