Experimental Studies of Self Healing Behaviour of Under-Aged Al-Mg-Si Alloys and 60Sn-40Pb Alloy Reinforced Aluminium Metal-Metal Composites

Kenneth Kanayo Alaneme^1,2*, Oluwafemi Isaac Omosule¹

¹Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.
²Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Campus, University of Namibia, Ongwediva, Namibia.

DOI: 10.4236/jmmce.2015.31001                

Abstract

Experimental studies to demonstrate self healing potentials of Al-Mg-Si alloy were undertaken in this research work. Self healing exploring secondary precipitation in the Al-Mg-Si alloy and use of low melting metallic alloy reinforcement (60Sn-40Pb alloy) were used as basis for the investigation. For the precipitation study, the Al-Mg-Si alloy was under-aged at temperature of 160^oC for 10 minutes and then subjected to second step ageing treatment at four different temperatures within the range of 25^oC and 70^oC. In the 60Sn-40Pb alloy reinforced Al-Mg-Si alloy study, the samples were prepared in pre-cracked state and then subjected to healing heat-treatment at 250^oC. For all cases tensile test and healing efficiency was used to analyze the results generated. It was observed that a second step thermal ageing at 50^oC resulted in peak improvement in tensile strength, yield strength, toughness and percent elongation while ageing above this temperature lead to a drop in the tensile properties in comparison to that of the sample not subjected to a second ageing treatment. Also the use of 60Sn-40Pb alloy as reinforcement in the Al-Mg-Si alloy resulted in a healing efficiency of 91% after pre-cracking and heat-treatment. The satisfactory bonding between the 60Sn-40Pb alloy and the Al-Mg-Si alloy matrix contributed to the high healing efficiency observed.

Keywords

Aluminium Alloys, Secondary Precipitation, Self Healing Metals, Healing Efficiency, Mechanical Damage, Biomimetics, Low Melting Point Reinforcement

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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