Aluminum-Based Composite Material and Method for Production Thereof

Abstract

An aluminum base composite material ( 10 ) having an aluminum alloy ( 11 ) as a base material and, incorporated therein, a reinforcing material ( 12 ) composed of alumina particles of alumina fibers, wherein a spinel layer ( 13 ) is formed on the surface of the reinforcing material and an aluminum nitride layer ( 14 ) exhibiting excellent wettability is formed on the surface of said spinel layer.

1 . An aluminum-based composite material having as a base material an aluminum alloy which contains a reinforcing material composed of alumina particles or alumina fibers, the aluminum-based composite material comprising: 
 a spinel layer formed on a surface of the reinforcing material; and    an aluminum nitride layer formed on a surface of the spinel layer.    
   
   
       2 . The aluminum-based composite material of  claim 1 , wherein the spinel layer has an auxiliary spinel layer formed in advance on the surface of the reinforcing material.  
   
   
       3 . A method for producing an aluminum-based composite material having as a base material an aluminum alloy which contains a reinforcing material composed of alumina particles or alumina fibers, the method comprising the steps of: 
 mixing the reinforcing material with magnesium to form a mixed powder;    placing a billet of the aluminum alloy on the mixed powder;    sublimating the magnesium in the mixed powder by heating the billet and the mixed powder to the sublimation temperature of magnesium in a nitrogen atmosphere;    forming a spinel layer on the surface of the reinforcing material by reacting the alumina of the reinforcing material with the magnesium nitride produced from a reaction between the sublimated magnesium and the nitrogen; and    forming aluminum nitride on the surface of the spinel layer while raising the temperature to the melting point of the billet and causing the molten aluminum alloy to penetrate into the mixed powder after the spinel layer is formed.    
   
   
       4 . The method for producing an aluminum-based composite material, according to  claim 3 , wherein the sublimation temperature of magnesium is maintained following heating to the sublimation temperature in the step of sublimating the magnesium.  
   
   
       5 . The method for producing an aluminum-based composite material, according to  claim 3 , further comprising a step of forming auxiliary spinel layer in advance on the surface of the reinforcing material before the step of forming the mixed powder.  
   
   
       6 . The method for producing an aluminum-based composite material, according to  claim 3 , wherein the magnesium is a powder having a grain size of 50 to 500 μm.