Ultrasonic-assisted-infiltration of Al5083/SiC 30PPI- C4 composites and its characterization

This article describes the fabrication of interpenetrating co-continuous ceramic composite Al5083/SiC composites using the ultrasonic-assisted gas pressure infiltration technique. Composites were made using open porous foam with 30 pores per inch (PPI). According to microstructural analyses, the ultrasonic-assisted infiltration technique improves infiltration, and refines the composite's grain structure. The evaluation of mechanical properties demonstrates that the Ultrasonic Treatment (UT) enhances the 30PPI-C4 composite's hardness and compression strength. The inclusion of ultrasonic treatment raises the hardness of the 30PPI-C4 composite alloy from around 135.5 HB to about 142 HB. Compared to the untreated 30PPI-C4 composite, the ultrasonic treatment-assisted manufacturing increased the composite's compression strength by almost 7%. A conical projectile was used for ballistic testing, and the distance the projectile penetrated into the 30PPI-C4 composite was used to determine the depth of damage. Without the ultrasonic treatment, the projectile pierces the 30PPI-C4 composite 5.92 ± 0.55 mm. On the other hand, the depth of penetration is decreased to about 4.09 ± 0.13 mm following ultrasonic treatment.