Processing of B4C-reinforced al matrix by casting technique

When B4C is used as a reinforcement material for Al, it provides excellent mechanical andphysical properties, such as high hardness, high wear resistance and stiffness which make Al-B4C composites ideal candidate materials for brake systems. However, especially during thelast two decades, automotive industry urgently required a cost-effective processing techniqueto produce competitive brake components for mass production. Furthermore, wetting problembetween B4C and liquid Al metal as well as the formation of undesirable phases at theinterface are yet to be solved for successful application of these composites.Therefore, the present work introduces a cost-effective and reliable casting technique toovercome the above mentioned issues. For this aim, experimental work was carried out usingB4C powders with different particle sizes to reinforce commercially available Al usingcasting technique. It was shown that using the casting technique reported here a new range ofhigh performance composite materials suitable for braking systems could be produced bycontrolling both the process parameters and hence the final microstructure.Keywords: Aluminium, Boron Carbide, Composites, Interface.