The Mechanical and Thermal Response of Shape Memory Alloy-Reinforced Aluminum Nanocomposites

Abstract

The concept of developing intelligent materials that has the innate capability of healing its damage has engineered considerable scientific and even technological interest due on account of its potential for selection and use in sectors spanning aerospace, automotive, and even commercial products. Aluminium (Al) with its noteworthy properties , such as high specific strength (σ/ρ), low coefficient of thermal expansion, high thermal conductivity and good wear resistance characteristics is an ideal candidate for engineering the development of self-healing materials. In this paper, shape memory alloy [Ni₅₀Ti₅₀ (NiTi)]-reinforced aluminum matrix nanocomposites [referred to henceforth through the text as SMA-AMNCs] were fabricated using the technique of powder metallurgy followed by hybrid microwave sintering . The intrinsic influence of addition of nanosized particles of the chosen alloy (NiTi) on microstructural development, mechanical properties and even thermal properties of the chosen aluminum are examined. With the addition of nanoparticles of the shape memory alloy (NiTi), a noticeable improvement in hardness , ultimate compression/tensile strength [σ _UTS], yield strength [σ_YS], damping capacity (Q^-1) and damping loss rate (L) was observed, with a concurrent decrease in the values of failure strain (ε_f) and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The observed increase in properties of the engineered nanocomposite as a consequence of contributions from intrinsic microstructural effects is neatly presented and briefly discussed.