Densification, microstructure and properties of supersolidus liquid phase sintered 6711Al-SiC metal matrix composites

The present study compares the effect of SiC reinforcement on densification and properties of supersolidus liquid phase sintered 6711Al-SiC composites. The prealloyed 6711 powders were mixed with SiC ranging from 5 to 20 vol.%, compacted at 400 MPa and sintered at 630ºC under vacuum. It was shown that better densification, yield strength, wear and corrosion resistance were achieved up to 10 vol.% due to uniform distribution of SiC particles throughout matrix. Beyond 10 vol.%, SiC resulted in clustering and had detrimental effect on densification and mechanical properties. Age hardening of 6711-10SiC composites led to improvement in mechanical properties.