AlSi10Mg alloy infiltration into porous SiC structures manufactured by sponge replication

An AlSi10Mg aluminium casting alloy is infiltrated into porous silicon carbide (SIC) structures, and the microstructural, mechanical and physical properties of aluminium composites are investigated. Silicon carbide porous structures were formed by the polymeric template sponge replica method. Reticulated and open-pore polyurethane sponges with 45, 60 and 80 pores per inch were used for the polymeric replica application. The high-pressure die casting method was preferred to infiltrate the liquid aluminium alloy into porous ceramic structures. An AlSi10Mg aluminium casting alloy was used as the matrix alloy for the manufacturing of aluminium matrix composites. Molten aluminium alloy was pushed into the mould cavity for 5 s with 8 atm piston pressure. Microstructural, mechanical and physical properties of aluminium composites were examined, and the analyses of energy-dispersive spectrometry, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy and tensile test were performed for this. The experimental density of the non-reinforced sample was obtained as 2.62 g cm⁻³, while the composites were changed between 2.71 and 2.72 g cm⁻³ according to the pore structure. The highest tensile strength value was determined in aluminium composites with a pore density of 80 ppi reinforcement element with a value of 160 MPa.