Continous Fiber Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites - Influence of the Alloy Composition on the Mechanical Properties

The use of aluminum as matrix material for continuous fiber reinforced composites has been investigated for over 20 years, with varying degree of success: industrial applications of these materials remain very limited. This paper describes the development of a practical method of producing near net shape, selectively reinforced, components with good mechanical properties in both unreinforced and fiber containing regions and relates this development to previous work, illustrating the potentials and the limitations of continuous fiber reinforced aluminum based composite materials.