| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Aluminum Alloys: Development and Manufacturing
|
| Presentation Title |
In Situ Thermite Reactions: A Pathway to Enhanced Alumina Wettability in Aluminum Composites |
| Author(s) |
David Weiss, Jordan Kozakevich, Dimitry Sediako |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
David Weiss |
| Abstract Scope |
Aluminum-alumina-based nanocomposites are challenging to cast, especially in high-volume productions. Adding nano-scale alumina reinforcements to aluminum alloys can enhance their strength and thermal stability. However, it is difficult to deagglomerate and properly wet these particles during casting. One way to improve the wetting is to increase the processing temperature to reduce the surface tension of the melt, leading to increased manufacturing cost. To address this, the authors have developed a sintered master alloy for casting aluminum-alumina metal matrix nanocomposites. This master alloy uses composite powders of aluminum-alumina-thermite (CuO) that are ball-milled and sintered. Sintering occurs at a temperature before the point where CuO reacts with aluminum to create Cu+Al2O3. This technique promotes de-agglomeration before casting, creating initial bonding between the alumina reinforcements and aluminum powder. When added to the melt, the CuO exothermically reacts and heats the alumina particles, improving the bonding interface between the particulates and the molten metal. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: Light Metals |
| Keywords |
Solidification, Aluminum, Powder Materials |