Increasing the mechanical properties of high damping woodceramics by infiltration with a magnesium alloy

Abstract Woodceramics are new porous ecomaterials and have been proved to possess good damping characteristics compared with other ceramics, but their mechanical properties have been found to be relatively poor. In order to achieve good mechanical properties and good damping properties simultaneously, a woodceramics/ZK60A (WCMs/ZK60A hereafter) composite is fabricated using high-pressure vacuum infiltration technique. Microstructural analysis as well as measurement of mechanical properties and damping behavior of WCMs/ZK60A composite is made. Experimental results show that ZK60A alloy has infiltrated most of the pores and WCMs/ZK60A composite has an obvious interpenetrating network structure. Its strength, Young's modulus and damping characteristics are all much higher than those of unreinforced woodceramics. The intrinsic damping of woodceramics and dislocation damping in matrix are proposed as the main contributors of the damping of WCMs/ZK60A composite at low temperature while Interface damping is likely to be responsible for the majority at elevated temperature.