Preliminary Investigations on the Manufacture of Al-AZ31 Bimetallic Composites by the Screw Extrusion Process

Abstract

The development of bimetals, or metallic composites, has in recent years been given increased attention. The motivation behind the development of bimetals is that, by combining two dissimilar metals it is possible to obtain an optimal combination of desired properties, while at the same time minimizing the restrictive properties of the metals involved. Aluminium and magnesium both have excellent material properties, but they also have the possibility of expanding their field of application by being combined as a bimetal. However, it is yet to be established a suitable manufacture method that can produce bulk metallic composites with fully integrated and void-free interfaces between the two materials. This thesis proposes screw extrusion as a possible solution for mass production of Al-AZ31 bimetallic composites. In the approach to evaluate this proposition, extrusion profiles with different Al-AZ31 compositions will be produced, and characterized.