Preparation of a Functionally Gradient Aluminum Alloy Metal Matrix Composite Using the Technique of Spray Deposition

The 6066Al/SiCP functionally gradient material (FGM) was successfully prepared via the spray deposition technique accompanied with an automatic control system. The results reveal that the SiCP weight fraction of the as-deposited preform from the top to the bottom ranges almost continuously from 0 to 30%. The part with the higher SiCP weight fraction exhibits a relatively smaller density than that with the lower SiCP weight fraction. However, the microhardness and the porosity increase with the increasing SiCP weight fraction in the as-deposited preform. The spray deposition technology is promising to produce a wide range of other FGMs.