Please can any one help me?
I fabricated four aluminum matrix composite with SiC and MgO, and I need the best method to find the exact chemical composition after casting.
What is the best method to analyze the chemical composition of metal matrix composites?
I used EDS, but the Si did not appear.
I don't get your question. If you fabricate the composite you already know how much of which phase you mixed with each other. SiC and MgO shouldn't react with Al so that nothing should change. Moreover, it would surprise me if your EDS system cannot see SiC anymore. This only means that during preparation you removed this phase. This, please check with a Si crystal, whether your EDS is correctly working. Of course, you shouldn't be surprized when Si and C is not exactly 50:50. For Mg and O I would expect it. Otherwise you have to lok for the calibration of your system. I would anyway recommend to look for MgO (simple ceramic which you can get everywhere) and also SiC and check your EDS system with these phases if you really want get the correct 50:50 composition. However, since both phases are inert, I don'tr see any reason why you want do this.
What do you mean with XRD didn't give any change with base alloy? Didn't you find SiC and MgO in your XRD pattern?
Dear Rana:
Good day.
Only by curiosity, have you tried to do some XPS analysis?
Have a nice day.
Kind regards.
Sebastian
Dear colleagues, if he does not find Si by EDS it does not make any sense to change the analytical techniques until he will find anything. I don't want argue which technique is the most accurate or the best for this application, but here obviously a general problem with the sample exists so that any other technique will perhaps give some (other) results but does not solve the actual problem. Why doesn't he find Si by EDS, and why does he need this information in general? To recommend (more expensive and less available) techniques is from my point of view not very helpful.
Dear Rana Sir
I hope everybody given the idea.. I have also Suggest XPS, SIMS powder XRD is also one of the best tool for the for these kind of metal matrixs.
Best Reg
Shanmugam.S
yes, all techniques are very nice, but I agree with Gert. Your EDS analysis should work or you have a problem somewhere
Dear Rana,
It seems that you should first scan the surface of your composite using HF-SEM to identify the various phases you have mixed together. Then you work with EDX and XRD techniques.
Dear Rana:
Good afternoon
You may find an XPS study performed on the SiC-reinforced aluminium matrix composites (A3xx.x/SiCp) l surfaces
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230681144_Oxidation_behaviour_of_cast_aluminium_matrix_composites_with_Ce_surface_coatings
Have a nice day
Kind regards.
Sebastian
Article Oxidation behaviour of cast aluminium matrix composites with...
XRF and EDX is the best ways to obtain the chemical composition of your composites
X-RF (Elemental Analyzer) is the best way to find the composition of you sample
XrD will not show clear peaks under the following circumstances. (1) Low volume fraction, (2) poor distribution and (3) poor bonding of reinforcement particles with the matrix. Generally in situ composites show clear peaks in XrD compared to aluminum composites prepared by other techniques. Etch the surface of the aluminum composites prior to taking XrD. Etching would expose the particles and improve the peaks in XrD. Generally, XrD can only confirm the successful reinforcement and can't compute composition exactly. Optical emission spectrometry (OES) can be used to find the composition of composite after casting. However, it is not a usual practice. Because metal matrix composite is always written as Matrix/X. Vol% Reinforcement. No one writes in terms of elements just like the composition of matrix alloy.
XRD will provide information about the phase composition. You can use XRF in order to get the detailed chemical composition. Also, the use of SEM attached with EDS will provide information on elemental composition.
EDS cannot be an accurate method only for the elements with smaller atomic mass, like carbon, nitrogen, Oxygen. But silicon it is highly recomended.
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