Microstructurally Inhomogeneous Composites with Tailored Reinforcement Distribution

The principal advantage of metal matrix composites (MMCs) over unreinforced monolithic alloys is that their physical and mechanical properties can be enhanced by tailoring both their microstructure and the 3D spatial arrangement of reinforcement. The former has been realised by adjusting volume fraction, size and aspect ratio of the reinforcing phases in the conventional approach to MMCs processing where a homogeneous reinforcement distribution is sought. But there is now interest in the unique design opportunities afforded by the controlled distribution of reinforcements at an intermediate (or mesoscopic) scale, specifically in terms of graded and layered structures [1,2]. In this paper, a microstructurally inhomogeneous short fibre MMCs (MICs) with tailored structures were fabricated and studied.