EFFECT OF FIBER DISTRIBUTION ON INFILTRATION PROCESSING AND FRACTURE-BEHAVIOR OF CARBON FIBER-REINFORCED ALUMINUM COMPOSITES

The composites in which carbon fibres were distributed in bundle were fabricated by the pressure-regulating infiltration technique. The infiltration processing and mechanical properties of this composites have been studied. The molten metal infiltrates the preform in finger-like mode. This type of the infiltration mode can make infiltration become possible at rather low pressure of 0.7 MPa in spite of non-wetting of molten metal to the fibre, which simplifies the fabrication process greatly. Also, the arrangement of the fibre in bundle is of benefit to offer high tensile strength as well as an increase of fracture energy of the composites.