Effect of Pouring Temperature on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Continuous CF-Reinforced Al-10Mg Matrix Composites

The Al-10Mg composites containing 10wt% Mg reinforced by 6.8vol% continuous carbon fibers (CFs) were prepared by twin-roll casting method at different pouring temperatures (943, 963, 983, and 1003 K). The Ni coating on the CF surface was used to inhibit the formation of Al4C3 brittle phase. Results show that CFs and Al-10Mg matrix are well bonded without the formation of Al4C3 brittle phase. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the composites is firstly increased and then decreased with increasing the pouring temperature. When the pouring temperature is 963 K, UTS of CFs/Al-10Mg composites reaches 185 MPa, which is increased by 41.2% compared with that (131 MPa) of the substrate. Meanwhile, the fracture surface of CFs/Al-10Mg composites was also investigated. The good interface bonding between CFs and Al matrix can be observed. Thus, the twin-roll casting is an effective method to prepare CFs/Al-10Mg composites with a promising prospect.