Metal matrix composites reinforced with Fibre FP(a-Al 2 O 3 )

Abstract
An experimental continuous aluminium oxide fibre designated Fibre FP is currently under development at the Du Pont Company. This fibre is well suited for the reinforcement of metals. A major problem limiting widespread usage of fibre reinforced metal matrix composites has been the lack of practical methods to fabricate composites. We have developed a versatile, potentially low cost, fabrication technique based on vacuum casting to incorporate Fibre FP into metal matrices. To date, fabrication of Fibre FP reinforced magnesium, aluminium, lead, copper and zinc composites have been demonstrated. A variety of FP/Al and FP/Mg composite components such as plates, rods, tubes, structural beams, billets and thin sheets containing volume loading 30-60 % FP have been prepared. For a fibre volume loading of 60%, undirectional FP/Al composites have an axial modulus of 262 GPa (38 x 10 6 lbf/in 2 ), tensile strength of about 690 MPa (10 5 lbf/ in 2 ), compressive strength 3.4 GPa (5 x 10 5 lbf/in 2 ) and retain their mechanical properties to 316 °G. Transverse tensile strengths of 172-207 MPa (25-30 x 10 3 lbf/ in 2 ) show that excellent fibre/matrix bonding is obtained.

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