Ni-base metal–intermetallic laminate composites were obtained from in situ reaction synthesis between Ni and Al foils by utilizing plasma activated sintering. The effects of Ni foil thickness on the microstructure and tensile properties of the composites were investigated. The results show that the phases forming during reaction synthesis are independent of the starting thickness of the Ni foils. However, thicker reacted layers are obtained in the samples fabricated from 100 lm Ni foils(Ni100) than those obtained in the samples from 50 lm Ni foils(Ni50)when treated at the same process. The tensile strength of Ni100 samples increases with the temperature increasing at the expense of ductility. Dissimilarly, Ni50 composites treated at higher temperatures exhibit enhanced strength and ductility. Both Ni50 and Ni100 laminate fracture in a similar mechanism. Cracking first occurs in the brittle intermetallic layers. These original cracks result in shear bands in Ni layers emitted from the crack tips, and thus producing local stress concentration, which initiates new cracks in adjacent intermetallic layers. The multiplication of cracks and shear bands leads to the failure of the laminates.
Spherical AlN powders with micrometer size have attracted great attention owing to their good fluidity and dispersity. However, the industrial preparation methods usually require high temperature and long soaking time, which lead to the high cost and limit the wide application of the products. Herein, nearly spherical AlN particles with the average size of 2.5 μm were successfully synthesized via an in-situ combustion synthesis method. The effect of N_(2) pressure, NH_(4)Cl content, and Al particle size on the combustion reaction procedure, phase composition, and microstructure of the products was systematically investigated. The results showed that the decreased N_(2) pressure, increased NH_(4)Cl content, and Al particle size led to the decreasing of combustion temperature and speed, which further affected the morphology of the products. As a result, low N_(2) pressure(0.2 MPa), a small amount of NH4Cl(0.5 wt%), and fine Al particles(~2.5 μm) contributed to a moderate combustion temperature and facilitated the formation of nearly spherical AlN particles. In addition, based on the gas-releasing assisted quenching experiments and thermo-kinetic analysis, a two-step growth mechanism for the nearly spherical AlN particles was rationally proposed. The present method shows the advantages of low cost and high efficiency for preparing nearly spherical AlN particles, which can be used as raw materials for electronic substrates and fillers for packaging materials.
Zhilei WeiKang LiBangzhi GeChaowei GuoHongyan XiaYajie GuoZhongqi Shi
