Effect of Micro- and Nano-SiC Particulate Reinforcements in Magnesium-Based Metal Matrix Composites

The effects of the volume ratios of micro and nano-SiC particles (SiCp) on the grain refinement, distribution of SiCp particle, and tensile properties of the as-cast AZ31B (Mg-3Al-1Zn-0.3Mn) magnesium-based metal matrix composites have been investigated. As the volume fraction of micron SiCp decreases to 9 vol.% and the nano-SiCp increases to 1 vol.%, excellent grain refinement effect is achieved. This is due to both the uniform distribution and refining effects of micro- and nano-SiCp. Moreover, the micron SiCp distribute along the grain boundaries, while nano-SiCp is mainly distributed around the micron SiCp. The room-temperature tensile results show that the optimal room-temperature yield and tensile strengths are achieved with a 9/1 ratio of micro to nano-SiCp, while the 9.5/0.5 ratio yielded the highest elongation.