Performance and modeling of active metal-matrix composites manufactured by ultrasonic additive manufacturing

Abstract

This paper presents the development and characterization of active aluminum-matrix composites manufactured by Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM), an emerging rapid prototyping process based on ultrasonic metal welding. The primary benefit of UAM over other metal-matrix fabrication processes is the low process temperatures, as low as 25 °C. UAM thus provides unprecedented opportunities to develop adaptive structures with seamlessly embedded smart materials and electronic components without degrading the properties that make these materials and components attractive. The objective of this research is to develop UAM composites with aluminum matrices and embedded shape memory NiTi, magnetostrictive Galfenol (FeGa), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) phases. The paper is focused on the thermally induced strain response and stiffness behavior of NiTi-Al composites, the actuation properties of FeGa-Al composites, and the embedded sensing capabilities of PVDF-Al composites. We observe up to a 10% increase over room temperature stiffness for NiTi-Al composites and a magnetomechanical response in the FeGa-Al composite up to 52.4 με. The response of the PVDF-Al composite to harmonic loads is observed over a frequency range of 10 to 1000 Hz.