Functionally graded Al-Al3Ni in situ intermetallic composites:: Fabrication and microstructural characterization

Functionally graded materials (FGM) are a relatively new class of inhomogeneous composite materials, where the composition or the microstructure is locally varied to alter the material properties within a component. The present investigation is on fabrication of functionally graded Al-Al3Ni in situ intermetallic composites and their characterization. Al-Ni alloys with varying percentage of nickel (10-40%) have been used to fabricate Al-Al3Ni FGM by vertical centrifugal casting. The microstructural characteristics and hardness profile of these FGMs have been evaluated. Amongst the four alloy systems studied, Al-20 wt%Ni gives the best graded microstructure. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.