Metal Matrix Composites: Custom–made Materials for Automotive and Aerospace Engineering

For some years now metal matrix composites (MMCs) with a light metal matrix have been successfully applied in the automotive industry, for example in fiber–reinforced pistons or hybrids for crankcases. A further important field of industrial applications of these high–tech materials is the aerospace industry.
Since the properties of MMCs can be directly designed "into" the material, making them truly custom–made, they can fulfill all the demands set by design engineers.
This book surveys the latest results and development possibilities for MMCs as engineering and functional materials. It is thus of utmost value to all materials scientists and engineers seeking in–depth background information on the potentials these materials have to offer in research, development and design engineering.

Fundamentals of MMCs
Particles, fibers, and short fibers for MMC reinforcement
Preforms for reinforcements of light metals
Aluminum–matrix composites
Production of composites by thermal coating processing
Cutting of Al–MMCs
Mechanical behaviour and fatigue of metal matrix composites
Interfaces in metal matrix composites
Metal matrix composites by powder metallurgy
Spray compacting – an alternative process for MMC–Al alloys

Professor Kainer is Director of Institute for Materials Research at the
GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht and Professor at the Technical
University Hamburg–Harburg. His main research focuses on metal matrix
composites and magnesium alloys, with a special focus on applications in
the automobile industry. He cooperates in research projects with major
European and American car manufactures as well as with research institutes
in Asia, America and Europe. He was also Chairman of the three
International Magnesium Conferences in Germany, organised by the DGM, and
he gave invited lectures at many international conferences, including the
TMS Annual Meetings in the US.

"... surveys the latest results and developments in the use of metal matrix composites for these industries."
Materials Today