Journal of Materials Science, Vol.53, No.14, 10173-10180, 2018
Microstructural characterization of Al4C3 in aluminum-graphite composite prepared by electron-beam melting
We prepared graphite-infused aluminum composites by electron-beam vacuum melting and electromagnetic stirring with 0% and 4 wt% graphite addition. Bulk density of 2.69 g/cm(3) was measured for samples with 0% graphite addition (AlCv0) and 2.66 g/cm(3) for samples with 4 wt% graphite addition (AlCv4). Both are > 99% of their theoretical values. X-ray diffraction indicated that AlCv0 is phase pure, while the AlCv4 sample is a composite consisting of aluminum, Al4C3, and graphite. Electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed pockets of carbon-rich phase of 10-50 mu m in sizes dispersed in the Al matrix in AlCv4. Scanning transmission electron microscopy showed that Al4C3 crystallites of 1-2 mu m sizes are mostly located near the outer shell of the pockets of carbon-rich phase and with undissolved graphite at the center. Thermal conductivity of 107.8 W/m K was measured for the AlCv4 and 226.7 W/m K for the AlCv0. Our work demonstrated the feasibility of producing pore-free high-density graphite-infused aluminum composite materials by electron-beam melting and electromagnetic stirring in vacuum.