Fabrication of Aluminum Nitride Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites via Plasma Arc Melting under Nitrogen Atmosphere

In this study, aluminum nitride (AlN) reinforced aluminum (Al) matrix composites are fabricated via plasma arc melting under a nitrogen atmosphere. Within a minute of the chemical reaction between Al and N, dispersed AlN with the shape of transient and lamellar layers is in situ formed in the Al matrix. The composite contains 10 vol.% AlN reinforcements with low thermal resistance and strong bonding at the interfaces, which leads to the unique combination of thermal expansivity and conductivity in the resulting composites. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the composite can be further reduced when Si was alloyed into the Al matrix, which proposes the potential of the in situ Al matrix composites for thermal management applications.