Fiber-particle combined reinforced metal composite material and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a fiber-particle combined reinforced metal composite material and a manufacturing method thereof. The composite material takes metal as a matrix, and simultaneously comprises a continuous fiber reinforcement body and a hard particle reinforcement body. The manufacturing method adopts a composite additive process combining interlayer machining, wire arrangement and electric arc deposition, and specifically comprises the following steps: milling a deposited metal layer and forming a groove; arranging fiber or metal wire reinforcements in the grooves and fixing the fiber or metal wire reinforcements through rolling; and metal wires and the hard particles are synchronously fed through an electric arc additive process for composite deposition, and layer-by-layer circulation is conducted till the component is formed. According to the invention, the technical problem that fiber reinforcements are difficult to accurately arrange, fuse and maintain integrity in arc additive manufacturing is effectively solved, and the prepared composite material has the comprehensive properties of high strength, high modulus, high wear resistance and high toughness.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of metal matrix composites and additive manufacturing technology, and more particularly to a fiber-particle co-reinforced metal composite material and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for lightweight, high-performance structural components in aerospace, defense equipment, and rail transportation, traditional metallic materials such as steel, aluminum alloys, and titanium alloys are no longer sufficient to fully meet the comprehensive performance requirements of materials under extreme working conditions. These materials often have an inherent contradiction between strength and plasticity; high-strength steel is prone to brittle fracture, and aluminum alloys suffer from severe softening and creep at high temperatures. Simply relying on alloying or heat treatment is insufficient to achieve a synergistic improvement in multiple properties.

[0003] Particle-reinforced metal matrix composites (PRMMCs) significantly improve the hardness, wear resistance, and high-temperature stability of materials by introducing ceramic particles (such as TiC, SiC, and B4C) as reinforcing phases, thus finding applications in wear-resistant components and high-temperature structures. However, PRMMCs also face significant drawbacks: the addition of particles often leads to a substantial decrease in the plasticity and toughness of the matrix, and cracks easily initiate and propagate at the particle / matrix interface, resulting in a significant deterioration in the material's service performance under impact and fatigue loads. Furthermore, uneven particle distribution and poor interfacial bonding also restrict their widespread application in practical components.

[0004] Continuous fiber-reinforced metal matrix composites (FRMMCs) exhibit higher specific strength and specific modulus. The fibers effectively transfer and bear loads, significantly improving the material's fatigue resistance and damage tolerance. However, FRMMC manufacturing processes are complex and costly, and the fibers are prone to interfacial reactions with the metal matrix during high-temperature preparation, leading to performance degradation. Furthermore, traditional FRMMCs typically lack sufficient hardness and wear resistance, limiting their application in friction and wear scenarios.

[0005] Electrical arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) technology has developed rapidly in recent years, attracting widespread attention due to its high deposition efficiency, low cost, and suitability for integral forming of large components. Currently, some research has emerged on the preparation of particle-reinforced metal matrix composites using WAAM, such as the particle-targeted reinforcement method proposed in CN2019109792884, which can achieve localized strengthening of particles to a certain extent. However, this type of method still does not solve the fundamental problem of the mismatch between strength and toughness in PRMMC. On the other hand, although there are innovative devices such as the integrated wire and powder feeding welding torch structure proposed in CN201910600102X, their focus is on improving the feeding mechanism and does not involve the control and composite manufacturing of the fiber reinforcing phase, thus failing to achieve multi-scale synergistic reinforcement of fibers and particles.

[0006] Therefore, developing a new type of metal matrix composite material and its manufacturing method that can integrate the advantages of both fiber and particle reinforcements and adapt to the characteristics of additive manufacturing processes has become a key challenge to break through the performance bottlenecks of existing materials and promote the integrated manufacturing of multi-material structures. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fiber-particle co-reinforced metal composite material and its manufacturing method, so as to solve the key technical problems of limited strength improvement and significant decrease in plasticity of particle-reinforced metal matrix composite materials in arc additive manufacturing, and the difficulty of maintaining the integrity and good bonding of fiber reinforcements during high-temperature deposition.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] In a first aspect, a method for manufacturing a fiber-particle co-reinforced metal composite material includes the following steps:

[0010] Step S1: Mill the pre-deposited metal composite component to make the surface of the component flat and reach the predetermined layer thickness, and then use a grooving tool to process grooves of a predetermined pattern on the flat surface.

[0011] Step S2: After cleaning the groove and the surface of the component, lay the continuous fiber or metal wire reinforcement in the groove and apply a preload. Then, use rolling to plastically deform the metal around the groove to cover and fix the reinforcement.

[0012] Step S3: On the rolled surface, a new metal layer is deposited using an electric arc additive manufacturing process. At the same time, a hard particle reinforcement is fed into the molten pool during the deposition process to form a new composite layer containing fiber reinforcement phase and particle reinforcement phase.

[0013] S4: Repeat steps S1 to S3 until the additive manufacturing of the entire component is completed.

[0014] This invention, through the synergistic design of continuous fiber / filament reinforcement and hard particle reinforcement at both the micro and macro scales, fully leverages the respective advantages of fibers in bearing the main load, improving toughness and fatigue resistance, and particles in enhancing hardness, wear resistance, and high-temperature stability. This achieves a high degree of integration of the material's multifunctionality and properties, overcoming the technical bottleneck of performance imbalance in traditional single-reinforcing phase composite materials.

[0015] Furthermore, in step S1, the depth (h) of the trench satisfies: 1mm≤h≤H / 3, where H is the depth of the molten pool in step S3; the width of the trench is slightly larger than the diameter of the continuous fiber or metal wire reinforcement.

[0016] Furthermore, the distribution pattern of the trenches is selected from one of multiple parallel lines, a square grid, or a diamond grid; and the orientation of the trenches can be rotated at different angles in different metal layers.

[0017] Furthermore, in step S2, the rolling tool used is a pressure roller with raised dots on its surface; the rolling operation causes the metal on both sides of the groove to be squeezed together, thereby embedding the reinforcement in the matrix of the metal composite component.

[0018] Furthermore, the continuous fiber or metal wire reinforcement is selected from one or more of carbon fiber, basalt fiber, glass fiber, molybdenum wire or tungsten wire; the hard particle reinforcement is carbide, oxide, carbide or diamond powder, with a particle size range of 20 to 60 μm.

[0019] Furthermore, step S3 employs a composite deposition process that simultaneously utilizes filament and powder, with process parameters including: deposition current of 90–100 A, arc voltage of 19–20 V, deposition rate of 300 mm / min, supplemented by a lateral swing arc process with an amplitude of 4 mm and a frequency of 4 Hz.

[0020] In a second aspect, a fiber-particle co-reinforced metal composite material prepared by the manufacturing method described above includes a metal matrix, a hard particle reinforcing phase uniformly dispersed in the matrix, and a continuous fiber or metal wire reinforcing phase embedded in the matrix according to a preset pattern.

[0021] Furthermore, the metal matrix is ​​an aluminum alloy; the hard particle reinforcing phase is a carbide, oxide, carbide, or diamond powder; and the continuous fiber or metal wire reinforcing phase is a carbon fiber, basalt fiber, glass fiber, molybdenum wire, or tungsten wire.

[0022] Furthermore, the arrangement, composition, or volume fraction of the continuous fiber or metal wire reinforcement in the composite component can be designed in a gradient or zoned manner according to the service requirements of different parts of the component.

[0023] The advantages of this invention over the prior art are as follows:

[0024] 1. The composite material components prepared by this invention have excellent comprehensive performance, possessing high strength, high modulus, high wear resistance and high energy absorption characteristics. They can simultaneously meet the stringent requirements of material performance under extreme and complex working conditions such as high and low temperature alternation, high load impact, and high cycle fatigue. They are particularly suitable for the manufacture of high-performance customized components in aerospace, military equipment, rail transportation and bridge engineering.

[0025] 2. By synergistically designing continuous fiber / filament reinforcement and hard particle reinforcement at the micro and macro scales, the advantages of fibers bearing the main load, improving toughness and fatigue resistance, and particles improving hardness, wear resistance and high temperature stability are fully utilized. This achieves a high degree of integration of the material's multi-functionality and multi-performance, breaking through the technical bottleneck of performance imbalance in traditional single-reinforcement composite materials.

[0026] 3. This invention enables customized design of components in terms of composition, structure, and performance. At different locations of the same component, the gradient distribution or regional reinforcement of performance can be achieved by flexibly designing the fiber type, particle type and content, reinforcement arrangement (such as parallel lines, grids, etc.), and spatial orientation, truly realizing the integration of "design-materials-manufacturing".

[0027] 4. The proposed manufacturing method innovatively integrates multiple processes such as additive manufacturing, subtractive milling, precision fiber placement and roll forming, solving the key technical problems of precise arrangement, effective fusion and maintenance of structural integrity of fiber reinforcements in the high-temperature electric arc layer-by-layer manufacturing process. It provides a new and feasible technical approach for realizing the integrated forming of multi-material, multi-scale and complex structure metal composite components.

[0028] 5. This manufacturing process has high production efficiency, controllable cost, strong equipment adaptability, and is easy to integrate with digital design and intelligent manufacturing systems, possessing good engineering application potential and industrialization prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0030] In the attached diagram:

[0031] Figure 1 A process flow diagram for manufacturing fiber-particle co-reinforced metal composite materials;

[0032] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the trench configuration

[0033] Figure 3 This is a photograph of the finished linear groove in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the prepared Mo filament + TiC particle co-reinforced aluminum matrix composite material.

[0035] Figure 5 Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the tensile fracture surface of the prepared Mo-fiber + TiC particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composite.

[0036] Reference numerals: 1: Substrate; 2: Metal composite material component; 3: Grooving cutter; 4: Groove; 5: Wire winding wheel; 6: Continuous fiber / metal wire reinforcement; 7: Pressure roller; 8: Extrusion deformation groove; 9: Wire-powder composite welding gun nozzle; 10: Metal welding wire; 11: Powder injection port; 12: Composite deposition layer. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0039] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as exemplary and not as limiting. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0040] Combination Figure 1-4The diagram shows the process flow of the manufacturing method of fiber-particle reinforced metal composite material. The metal composite material component 2 is placed on the substrate 1. The pre-deposited metal composite material component is milled to make the surface flat and achieve a predetermined layer thickness. For example, after an arc additive deposition of a metal layer (let the thickness be t), according to the designed layer thickness (t0), milling is used to remove excess metal exceeding the layer thickness (t-t0), making the surface flat. A special grooving cutter 3 is used, with the cutting edge width corresponding to the width of the groove to be created and the cutting edge spacing corresponding to the spacing of the grooves to be created. Grooves 4 with a width slightly larger than the fiber / filament diameter are machined on the milled and flattened deposition layer surface. Figure 2 As shown, the distribution of trenches can be one of multiple parallel lines, square grids, or diamond grids, depending on the design requirements. The trenches in different deposition layers can be rotated at appropriate angles as needed. The depth (h) of the trenches should not exceed 1 / 3 of the molten pool depth (H) and should not be less than 1 mm. If the depth is too small, the fiber / filament reinforcement will be melted by the high temperature of the electric arc; if the depth is too large, the fiber / filament reinforcement and the molten metal will not bond well. The processed surface and grooves are cleaned using mechanical and chemical cleaning methods. After drying, a wire-winding wheel 5 is used to arrange fibers / metal wires in the grooves. The reinforcement is one or more combinations of carbon fiber, basalt fiber, glass fiber, and high-melting-point metal wire, and the fibers / metal wires 6 are kept taut. A pressure roller 7 with raised surfaces is used to press the linear groove surface of the composite material, deforming the metal walls between the grooves to form extrusion deformation grooves 8. This extrusion of the groove sidewalls serves to fix the fiber / wire reinforcement and block the direct thermal effect of the electric arc, thereby embedding the fibers / metal wires 6 into the composite material matrix. A wire-powder composite welding torch nozzle 9 is used to perform wire + powder composite arc deposition on the surface of the composite material. The wire-powder composite welding torch nozzle 9 includes a metal welding wire 10 and a powder injection port 11. The deposition current of the wire-powder composite welding torch nozzle 9 is 90-100A, the arc voltage is 19-20V, the deposition rate is 300mm / min, and the TiC powder injection rate is 1.2cm. 3 / min; and superimposed a lateral swing arc process with an amplitude of 4mm and a frequency of 4Hz to achieve uniform particle distribution and promote the fusion of reinforcing fibers / metal wires and matrix metal, thereby forming a composite deposition layer 12 containing fiber-reinforced phase and particle-reinforced phase, completing one additive deposition cycle.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] The matrix metal of the composite material was obtained by arc welding with ER5356 aluminum alloy welding wire (AlMg5Cr) with a diameter of 1.2 mm; the hard particle reinforcement was titanium carbide (TiC) powder with a diameter of 20-60 μm, which was incorporated into the molten metal pool in real time through wire-powder synchronous deposition; the continuous fiber / wire reinforcement 6 was molybdenum (Mo) wire with a diameter of 0.2 mm. The specific composite material preparation steps are as follows:

[0043] Step 1: Mill the surface of the pre-deposited metal composite component 2 until smooth. Use a special grooving cutter 3 to create linear grooves 4. The grooves 4 are spaced 0.5mm apart, 0.3mm wide, and 1.0mm deep, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 3 As shown.

[0044] Step 2: Grind the surface of the component and grooves 4 after processing with a fine steel wire brush or a thin diamond grinding disc, then clean it thoroughly with alcohol and dry it; use a wire winding wheel 5 to arrange the Mo wire in the grooves 4 and keep the Mo wire taut; use a pressure roller 7 with raised dots to roll the linear grooves 4 on the surface of the composite material, so that the metal walls between the grooves are deformed, burying the Mo wire in the composite matrix and preventing it from being directly heated and melted by the high temperature arc during the subsequent arc deposition process.

[0045] Step 3: Wire-powder composite arc deposition is performed on the surface of the pre-embedded Mo wire using a wire-powder composite welding torch nozzle 9. The deposition current is 90–100 A, the arc voltage is 19–20 V, the deposition rate is 300 mm / min, and the TiC powder injection rate is 1.2 cm. 3 / min; and superimposed a lateral swing arc process, with an amplitude of 4mm and a frequency of 4Hz, to achieve uniform particle distribution and promote the fusion of the reinforcing Mo wire and the matrix metal, forming a composite deposition layer 12. (See attached...) Figure 4 The image shows a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the prepared Mo filament + TiC particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composite. Then, proceed to step one for the next manufacturing cycle.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] The matrix metal of the composite material is made of ER5083 aluminum alloy welding wire with a diameter of 1.2 mm; the rest is the same as in Example 1.

[0048] Example 3

[0049] The hard particle reinforcement is tungsten carbide (WC) powder with a thickness of 20–60 μm; the rest is the same as in Example 1.

[0050] Example 4

[0051] The continuous fiber / filament reinforcement is a tungsten (W) filament with a diameter of 0.2 mm; the rest is the same as in Example 1.

[0052] Example 5

[0053] Step 1: Use a special grooving cutter to create square grooves with a side length of 1mm, a groove width of 0.3mm, and a depth of 1.0mm; the rest is the same as in Example 1.

[0054] Examples 1 and 2 used aluminum alloys with different compositions, ER5356 and ER5083, as the matrix, respectively, demonstrating that the method is applicable to various aluminum alloy systems. Examples 1, 3, and 4 verified that the method is compatible with different types of reinforcing phases. Both carbide ceramic particles (TiC or WC) and high-melting-point metal wires (Mo or W wires) can be successfully integrated into the metal matrix. Examples 1-4 used linear grooves, suitable for scenarios requiring unidirectional strengthening, while Example 5 used grid-shaped grooves, demonstrating the ability to achieve isotropic or mesh-based reinforcement in a two-dimensional plane. The groove pattern can also be a rhomboid grid, and the interlayer angles are adjustable, fully demonstrating that the spatial distribution of the reinforcement can be customized according to the stress conditions of the component (i.e., "structure-material integrated design"). The manufacturing method described in this invention is a general, stable, and repeatable technical solution. This solution has excellent material compatibility, allowing for flexible selection of the matrix and reinforcing phase combination according to the final performance requirements. This solution can achieve complex spatial structural designs, meeting the differentiated performance requirements of different parts of the component, truly embodying the advanced concept of "design-material-manufacturing" integration. The specific process parameters given in the examples provide a solid practical foundation for the industrial application of the technology.

[0055] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0056] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0057] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0058] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a fiber-particle co-reinforced metal composite material, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: Mill the pre-deposited metal composite component (2) to make the surface of the component flat and reach the predetermined layer thickness, and then use a grooving cutter (3) to process grooves (4) with a predetermined pattern on the flat surface; Step S2: After cleaning the surface of the groove (4) and the metal composite component, lay the continuous fiber / metal wire reinforcement (6) in the groove (4) and apply a preload. Then, use rolling to plastically deform the metal around the groove (4) to cover and fix the fiber / metal wire reinforcement. Step S3: On the rolled surface, a new metal layer is deposited using an electric arc additive manufacturing process. At the same time, hard particle reinforcement is fed into the molten pool during the deposition process to form a composite layer deposition layer containing fiber reinforcement phase and particle reinforcement phase (12). S4: Repeat steps S1 to S3 until the additive manufacturing of the entire component is completed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S1, the depth (h) of the groove (4) satisfies: 1mm≤h≤H / 3, where H is the depth of the molten pool in step S3; the width of the groove (4) is slightly larger than the diameter of the continuous fiber / metal wire reinforcement (6).

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The distribution pattern of the trench (4) is selected from one of multiple parallel lines, square grid or rhomboid grid; and the orientation of the trench (4) can be rotated at different angles in different metal layers.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: In step S2, the rolling tool used is a pressure roller (7) with protrusions on the surface; the rolling operation causes the metal on both sides of the groove to be squeezed together, thereby burying the reinforcement in the matrix of the metal composite component (2).

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The continuous fiber / metal wire reinforcement (6) is selected from one or more of carbon fiber, basalt fiber, glass fiber, molybdenum wire or tungsten wire; the hard particle reinforcement is carbide, oxide, carbide or diamond powder, with a particle size range of 20 to 60 μm.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Step S3 employs a composite deposition process that simultaneously utilizes filament and powder. The process parameters include: deposition current of 90–100 A, arc voltage of 19–20 V, deposition rate of 300 mm / min, supplemented by a lateral swing arc process with an amplitude of 4 mm and a frequency of 4 Hz.

7. A fiber-particle reinforced metal composite material prepared by the manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, It includes a metal matrix, a hard particle reinforcing phase uniformly dispersed in the matrix, and a continuous fiber or metal wire reinforcing phase embedded in the matrix according to a preset pattern.

8. The fiber-particle co-reinforced metal composite material according to claim 7, characterized in that: The hard particle reinforcing phase is a carbide, oxide, carbide, or diamond powder; the continuous fiber / metal wire reinforcing phase (6) is a carbon fiber, basalt fiber, glass fiber, molybdenum wire, or tungsten wire.

9. The fiber-particle co-reinforced metal composite material according to claim 7, characterized in that: The arrangement, composition, or volume fraction of the continuous fiber / metal wire reinforcement (6) in the composite component can be designed in a gradient or zoned manner according to the service requirements of different parts of the component.

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