FEATURE MATERIALS IN DESIGN & PROTOTYPING
Close-up showing CorXal, which provides an ultra-high specific stiffness material with a closed architecture. It is used in applications including marine, aerospace, and oil and gas
Aluminium Matrix Composites: back in the game after 40 years
Aluminium Matrix Composites (AMCs) first appeared in the 1980s in automotive
applications, but as carbon composites became more widely adopted, they were soon forgotten by engineers and designers. However, almost 40 years later, subsequent R&D investment into their manufacturing has resulted in significant progress, and AMCs are now firmly back in the game, as Alvant explains
T
here are many benefits to Aluminium Matrix Composites. They can be used to engineer
durable, lightweight, components for harsh environments; and, when compared to unreinforced metals, they have higher strength, greater stiffness, lower weight and superior wear resistance, as well as special thermal and electrical properties. AMCs also offer multiple advantages over polymer fibre reinforced materials, such as carbon composites – including higher transverse strength and stiffness, a higher thermal operating range, better wear resistance and superior damage tolerance. Thanks to a raft of applications showcasing
their capabilities across multiple sectors, the AMCs renaissance is firmly underway, with one UK firm fully focused on their development.
AMC MATERIAL FAMILIES Originally established in 2003 as CMT, Alvant has created a process known as Advanced Liquid Pressure Forming (ALPF), a method by which it brings together aluminium, which acts as the matrix, and a high strength reinforcement fibre to create a high-performance Aluminium Matrix Composite material. There are four Alvant AMC materials families:
AlXal (pronounced Al-Zal) – a continuous fibre reinforced AMC; ParXal – a particle loaded AMC; AerXal – an aluminium syntactic foam; and CorXal – a high-performance multi-phase AMC similar in concept to a sandwich material but made in a single-shot process providing ultra- high stiffness and low density (~1.9g/cc).
AMCs – the benefits • Lightweight: Up to 80% lighter than steel • Strength & stiffness: Can be 50% stiffer and close to 300% as strong as carbon composite
• Thermal stability: 95% of strength can be retained at 250˚C
• Fatigue & damage tolerant: Three times the fatigue strength of an aerospace aluminium
26 JULY/AUGUST 2020 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS Thanks to the potential benefits of these
materials, they have possible uses in a wide range of engineering applications which would benefit from their light, stiff and strong attributes. Now the proprietary rights owner of the ALPF
AMC manufacturing process, Alvant is involved in several key projects hailing the shift from R&D to commercial success. These fields cover electrified transport, aerospace, power generation and defence, although the material is equally suitable for high-end consumer products that need to be light, strong and capable of sustaining damage – such as mobile devices, biomechanical prosthetics, sports equipment, and personal mobility products including wheelchairs and folding bicycles.
CUSTOMISABLE MMC As something of a pioneer in the world of AMCs, Alvant and is now working on a customisable metal matrix composite (MMC) multi-phase material, offering a viable alternative to titanium and carbon sandwich composite offerings. Traditional sandwich materials are typically
assembled from carbon composite or unreinforced metallic panes with a variety of honeycomb cores. The metallic pane sandwiches are typically flat, 2D panels, while carbon composite varieties can take 3D forms. Touted as a sustainable and capable alternative, Alvant’s MMC is produced with a ‘one-shot’ manufacturing process and can significantly increase a component’s strength and stiffness to weight ratios. This multi-phase material method ensures the
product is more resistant to shrinkage, damage and high temperatures, making it eminently suitable for harsher environments. It is also possible to create more complex shapes whilst reducing the post-processing and assembly times usually associated with sandwich panel construction by as much as 30%.
A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION Product manufacturers are becoming more aware of how AMCs can sometimes be a better alternative than other composite materials or unreinforced metals, and the calibre of partners across various industry sectors signing-up to new projects with Alvant is proof of this. “A key objective of any project we undertake
is to test and demonstrate as many technology advances as possible,” said Richard Thompson, commercial director of Alvant. “Alvant’s AMCs are a sustainable solution that enhance product capabilities. “We’re seeing more and more industries facing
the challenge of finding suitable materials that will reduce weight whilst maintaining reliability and lowering whole-life ownership costs. AMCs offer an exciting potential to industries that need a step change in performance to meet ever stringent market and legislative demands. We are in the growth stages of an age of new materials, now is the time for the industry to stop relying on traditional technologies and embrace change.”
Alvant
www.alvant.com
AlXal is a high-performance alumina (Aluminium Oxide) continuous fibre reinforced aluminium composite
/ DESIGNSOLUTIONS
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