In Situ Reinforcement Concept
Formation of the reinforcement phase directly in the aluminum matrix by chemical reaction, for e.g.
- Ti and B salts + Al (liquid) = Al + TiB2 (LSM)
- CH4 (gas) + Al-Ti = Al + TiC (Drexel)
- Al + Ti + B (powders) = Al + TiB2 (XD)
Resulting reinforcement:
- Stable in the molten alloy
- Potentially fine particle size
- Density generally greater than Al matrix