Sintering of aluminum matrix materials by microwave furnace

In this study, the advantages of Co42Cu1Fe20Ta5.5B26.5Si5 metallic glass particles having high hardness and microwave fast sintering method were combined to produce a new metallic glass reinforced aluminum matrix composite. Composite specimens of metallic glass reinforced aluminum matrix are prepared by microwave sintering at a temperature that prevents crystallization of the reinforcing particles. 5-20% metallic glass reinforced composite powders were prepared by a high-speed ball mill and sintered at 500°C for 30 minutes by microwave heating. Microstructural properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the mechanical properties of the samples were evaluated by compression tests and Vickers hardness measurements. The sintering studies showed that when microwave heating was performed, the metallic glass particles interacted with microwaves at certain temperatures (above 500°C), causing excessive heating independently from the susceptor heating element. This was decisive for the selection of the sintering temperature. Investigations on the microstructures of these samples containing well-distributed reinforcements revealed that the intermetallic phase did not form between the reinforcement and matrix interfaces. The results showed that the samples milled for 2 hours exhibited significantly higher compressive strength and hardness values compared to pure aluminum.