Development of flake powder metallurgy in fabricating metal matrix composites: A review

Abstract

Powder metallurgy (PM) is one of the most applied processes in the fabrication of metal matrix composites (MMCs). Recently, a novel PM strategy called flake PM was developed to fabricate MMCs with nano-laminated or hierarchical architectures. The name "flake PM" was derived from the use of flake metal powders, which could benefit the uniform dispersion of reinforcements in the metal matrices and thus result in balanced strength and ductility. Flake PM has been proved to be successful in the dispersion of nano aluminum oxides, carbon nanotubes, graphene nano-sheets, and microsized B4C particles in aluminum or copper matrix. This paper reviews the technique and mechanism developments of flake PM in previous studies, and foresees the future develop of this new fabricating method.