The addition of hard ceramic particles or fibers in the aluminum base Al-MMC composite material is an important method of improving not just the wear resistance of aluminum but also its rigidity and strength. Important applications include high quality car and high-speed rail vehicle disc braking systems. Compared with traditional cast iron disc brakes, the benefits of lightweight aluminum alloy are obvious given the high specific heat of aluminum and a typical heat transfer coefficient of 5.3 times that of iron. Thus, in practical applications, the temperature of contact surfaces is lower. These are the main reasons that these Al- MMC composite materials should be the material of choice in modern disc brakes. However, Al-MMC composite materials are not normally used in large quantities because the price remains high.
AMSpec has made an MMC plate of 7000 series + SiC particles. This innovative material product is made by powder metallurgy (P/M) techniques, along with AMSpec extruded round rods, rolled and heat treated. The grain size of SiC particles shown in the figure is about 2~8μm and are evenly distributed in the aluminum base. In the attempt to replace a titanium alloy used in golf clubs, we achieved significant weight reduction, excellent anodized color and much more.