Study on the preparation of the SiCp/Al-20Si-3Cu functionally graded material using spray deposition

Research highlights: → The SiCp/Al-20Si-3Cu functionally gradient material (FGM) was successfully prepared via the spray deposition technique. → The SiCp/Al-20Si-3Cu functionally gradient material (FGM) was successfully prepared via the spray deposition technique. → In the experimental setup, the novel devices play an important role in adjusting the output of SiCp to prepare the FGM. → The experiment results reveal that the SiCp weight fraction of the as-deposited preform from the top to the bottom ranges almost continuously from 0% to 30%. → The fraction of SiC particles has no obvious influence on the phase constitutions of the SiCp/Al-20Si-3Cu FGM. - Abstract: The SiCp/Al-20Si-3Cu functionally gradient material (FGMs) was successfully prepared via the spray deposition technique accompanied with an automatic control system. The results reveal that the SiCp weight fraction of the as-deposited preform from the top to the bottom ranges almost continuously from 0% to 30%. The part with the higher SiCp weight fraction exhibits a relatively smaller density than that with the lower SiCp weight fraction. However, the microhardness and the porosity increase with the increasing SiCp weight fraction in the as-deposited preform. The X-ray diffraction results exhibit that the secondary phases in the regions with the different amount of SiC particles are the same such as Al2Cu and AlCuMg. The spray deposition technology is promising to produce a wide range of other FGMs.