Development of a New Active Material Based on SiC-Fiber/Aluminum Composite

Abstract

The present paper proposes an active SiC-fiber/aluminum composite utilizing its thermal deformation caused by non-uniform distribution of reinforcement fibers. A laminate of a continuous and unidirectional SiC fiber reinforced aluminum plate and an unreinforced aluminum plate was fabricated by the interphase forming/bonding method using a copper insert foil and its thermal deformation characteristics were investigated. The fabricated composite curved unidirectionally in the fiber direction by cooling from the hot pressing temperature, which is different from the behavior of a bimetal. Curvature of the composite at room temperature was maximized by investigating the effect of thickness of the aluminum plate, distance between the fibers and length of the composite in the experimented range. Under the optimum condition, its dependence on fiber length was clarified. It was also revealed that copper diffused but concentrated around the fibers, and that the interphase forming/bonding method with a copper insert increased the curvature of the composite. In a thermal cycling test, the curvature of the composite at room temperature reduced by heating from that to zero at the temperature of about 580 K. The zero-curvature temperature and the curvature at room temperature were reproducible for ten thermal cycles. These results suggest an availability of this composite as an active material.