Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

Compact polyelectrolyte complexes (COPECs), also named saloplastics, represent a new class of material with high fracture strain and self-healing properties. Here, COPECs based on poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) were prepared by centrifugation at pH 7. The influence of postassembly pH changes was monitored chemically by ATR-FTIR, ICP, DSC, and TGA, morphologically by SEM, and mechanically by strain to break measurements. Postassembly pH stimuli misbalanced the charge ratio in COPECs, impacting their concentration in counterions, cross-link density, and polymer chain mobility. At the material level, changes were observed in the porosity, composition, water content, and mechanical properties of COPECs. The cross-link density was a prominent factor governing the saloplastic's composition and water content. However, the porosity and mechanical properties were driven by several factors including salt-induced plasticization and conformational changes of polyelectrolytes. This work illustrates how multiple-scale consequences arise from a single change in the environment of COPECs, providing insights for future design of stimuli-responsive materials.

In this study, composites of aluminum alloy 6063 reinforced with 10 wt% boron carbide microparticles were successfully fabricated by a combination of spark plasma sintering and stir casting methods, followed by hot extrusion. A systematic study on the relationship between extrusion process variables (i.e. extrusion ratio, temperature, and punch speed) and porosity, particle refinement, particle distribution and consequently tensile properties and fracture behavior of the composites was performed. Extensive electron microscopy analysis and tensile testing of the composites revealed a multifactoral interdependency of microstructural evolution and mechanical properties on the extrusion process variables. For example, while increasing the extrusion ratio at higher temperatures led to moderate particle refinement, better densification of the composites, and improvement in mechanical properties, concurrent particle fragmentation and microvoid formation around the particles at lower temperatures had opposing effects on the mechanical behavior. We show that the dependency of mechanical properties on all such microstructural factors makes it difficult to predict optimum extrusion conditions in aluminum matrix composites. That is, unlike the common approach, extruding the composites at higher temperatures and achieving more reduction in area may not necessarily lead to the most favorable mechanical properties.

Aluminum matrix composite, Hot extrusion, Mechanical behavior, Microstructure, Spark plasma sintering, Stir casting