Processing and properties of aluminum and magnesium based composites containing amorphous reinforcement: A review

Abstract

This review deals with the processing and properties of novel lightweight metal matrix composites. Conventionally, hard and strong ceramic particles are used as reinforcement to fabricate metal matrix composites (MMCs). However, the poor mechanical properties associated with the interfacial de-cohesion and undesirable reactions at (ceramic) particle–(metallic) matrix interface represent major drawbacks. To overcome this limitation, metallic amorphous alloys (bulk metallic glass) have been recently identified as a promising alternative. Given the influential properties of amorphous metallic alloys, their incorporation is expected to positively influence the properties of light metal matrices when compared to conventional ceramic reinforcement. In view of this, a short account of the existing literature based on the processing and properties of Al- and Mg-matrix composites containing amorphous/bulk metallic glass (BMG) reinforcement is presented in this review. © 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.