Preparation and characterization of SiCp/2024Al composite foams by powder metallurgy

SiCp/2024Al composite foams were manufactured by powder metallurgical methods using foaming agent CaCO3 in order to enrich the foam fabrication process and promote its development and extensive application. The effects of CaCO3 and SiC volume fractions on the foaming behaviours were investigated by means of SEM and Magiscan-2A image analysis technique. The influence of SiC content on the compressive behaviour was analyzed using Gleeble 1500 thermal simulation testing machine. The experimental results show that with increasing the foaming agent, the porosity and pore dimension increase first and decrease later. With increasing the reinforcement content, the porosity and pore dimension decrease. The compressive curves reveal that the introduction of SiC particles can improve compressive yield strength and energy absorption capacity. Meanwhile, it is found that SiCp/2024Al composite foams are the brittle foam materials.