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MM: Fachverband Metall- und Materialphysik

MM 12: Postersitzung I

MM 12.44: Poster

Monday, March 14, 2011, 17:30–19:00, P5

Characterization of Al-Si alloy - TiB2 particles composite structure by STEM — •Justyna Grzonka¹, Tomasz Plocinski¹, Pedro Egizabal², and Krzysztof Kurzydlowski¹ — ¹Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland — ²TECNALAI Foundation, San Sebastian, Spain

The paper describes results of structural characterization of an Al-Si alloy matrix composite reinforced with TiB2 particles produced by in situ reaction. The properties of such composites, developed for weight reducing and wear resistant applications, critically depend on the inter-phase boundaries between Al-Si alloy matrix and TiB2 particles.

In order to study Al-Si alloy - TiB2 inter-phase boundaries High Resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRSTEM) was used. Samples representative of the material before and after thermal treatment were prepared using Focused Ion Beam technique (FIB). The Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) was used to map the spatial distribution of the key chemical elements. Phase analyses were performed using X-ray and electron diffraction patterns.

The results of the investigations show that the Si and TiB2 particles do not change with the applied heat treatment. However, other particles appearing in the composite matrix do. In particular, the heat treatment results in formation of Al2O3 and magnesium oxide particles at the inter-phase boundaries between Al alloy and TiB2.