Problems fabricating cast magnesium matrix composites with aluminosilicate cenospheres

Jacek Kamieniak, Katarzyna N. Braszczyńska-Malik

Quarterly No. 4, 2014 pages 214-218

DOI:

keywords: magnesium matrix composites, aluminosilicate cenospheres, fabrication processes, microstructure

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abstract The problems with fabricating magnesium matrix composites with aluminosilicate cenospheres were demonstrated. Two casting methods, typical stir-casting and vacuum casting processes were chosen to obtain AZ91 magnesium matrix composites with hollow cenospheres 63÷125 μm in diameter. In both methods, violent reactions between the components precluded the fabrication of the desired composites with undestroyed cenospheres. The main reaction products were oxides and an Mg₂Si compound. The creation of a Ni-P coating on aluminosilicate cenospheres (by electroless plating method) in connection with the application of the vacuum casting process allowed the authors to obtain composites with cenospheres not filled by the matrix alloy. The proposed solution contributed to the fabrication of composites characterized by about 60 vol.% uniformly distributed cenospheres and a final material density equal to about 1.16 g/cm³.